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RECOMMENDATION 

BY  GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

REV.  SIR,  Mount-Vermn>  July,  3^,  1799. 

Tor  your  kind  compliment-—"  The  IMMORTAL  MENTOR,'* 
I  beg  you  to  accept  my  beft  thanks.  I  have  perufed  it 
with  firguiar  fatisfa&ion ;  ar  d  hefitate  not  to  fay  that  it 
IS,  in  my  opinion  at  leaft*  an  invaluable  Compilation*  I  cannot 
but  hope  that  a  book  whofe  contents  do  fuch  credit  to  its  title, 
will  meet  a  very  generous  patronage. 

Should  that  patronage  equal  my  v  iilies,  you  will  have  no 
reaibn  to  regret  that  you  ever  printed  the  Immortal  Men 
tor. 

With  rcfpe&  I  am  Rev.  Sir, 

Your  mod  obedient 
The  Rev.  MR.  WEEMS.  Humble  Servant, 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


THE 

IMMORTAL  MENTOR: 

O  R, 

MJN's  UNERRING  GUIDE 

T  O     A 

HEALTHY,    WEALTHY,    AND 
HAPPY    LIFE. 


31  n  tijree 


BY 


LEWIS  CORNARO,  DR.  FRANKLIN,   ANU 
DR.  SCOTT. 


"  Reafon's  whole  pleafure,  all  the  joys  of  fenfe, 
**  Lie  in  three  words — health,  peace,  and  competence. 
"  Bleft  health  confifts  with  temperance  alone, 
"  And  peace,  O  virtue !  peace  is  all  thy  own." 

POPE. 


P  HI  LA  DELP  HI  A : 

PRINTED     FOR     THE    REV.    MASON    L.    WE^MS, 

BY     FRANCIS    AND    ROBERT     BAJLEY^ 

NO.   Il6,    HIGH-STREET. 


THE  GREAT  ADDISON,  BESTOWS  THE 

FOLLOWING  EULOGIUM  ON  THE  Au- 
THOR  OF  THE  FIRST  PART'  OF  THIS 
WORK. 

"  CORNARO  was  of  an  infirm  con- 
ftitution  till  about  forty  ^  when,  by  obfti- 
nately  perji/ting  in  the  Rules  recommended 
in  this  Book,  he  recovered  a  perfeft  ftate  of 
health^  infomuch^  that  at  four-fcore  he 
publijhed  this  Treatife.  He  lived  to  give 
a  fourth  edition  of  it^  and  after  having 
pa  [Jed  his  hundredth  year,  died  without 
pain  or  agony ^  like  one  who  falls  afleep. 
This  Book  is  highly  extolled  by  many  emi 
nent  authors^  and  is  written  with  fuch  a 
fpirit  of  cheerfulnefs  and  good  fenfe,  as 
are  the  natural  concomitants  of  temperance 
and  virtue" 


CONTENTS. 


PART     L 


PAGE. 

CHAP.  L  MAWs  unerring  Guide 
to  a  Long  and  Healthy 
Life  i 

II.  The  Method  of  Corre fling 

a  Bad  Conjlitution     .     .41 

III.  A  Letter  from  Sig.  Lewis 

Cornaro,  to  the  Right 
Rev.  Barbara,  Patri 
arch  of  Aquileia  .  -52 

IV.  Of  the  Birth  and  Death  of 

Man       ••«        .  6z 

APPENDIX. 


IV  CONTENTS. 

PAGE, 

APPENDIX.  Golden  Rules  of  Health , 
feleEled  from   Hippocra 
tes,  Plutarch,  and  f eve - 
ral  other  eminent  Phyfi- 
cians  and  Philofophers     .  8 1 

PART     II. 

INTRODUCTION  97 

The  Way  to  Wealth       .  .          107 

Advice  to  a  Toung  Tradefman     .     .126 

PART     III. 

CHAP.  I.   A  fure  Guide  to  Happi- 

nefs  .  133 

IT,  On  Social  Love      .     .      234 


IMMORTAL  MENTOR,  &c. 


IT  is  an  unhappinefs  into  which  the 
people  of  this  age  are  fallen,  that 
luxury  is  become  fafhonable  and  too  ge 
nerally  preferred  to  frugality.  Prodi 
gality  is  now-a-days  tricked  up  in  the 
pompous  titles  of  generofity  and  gran 
deur  ;  whilft  bleft  frugality  is  too  often 
branded  as  the  badge  of  an  avaricious 
and  fordid  fpirit. 

THIS  error  has  fo  far  feduced  us,  as  to 

prevail  on  many  to  renounce  a  frugal 

way  of  living,  though  taught  by  nature, 

and  to  indulge  thofe  excefles  which  ferve 

B  only 


2  THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

only  to  abridge  the  number  of  our  days. 
We  are  grown  old  before  we  have  been 
able  to  tafte  the  pleafures  of  being  young. 
And  the  time  which  ought  to  be  the 
fummer  of  our  lives  is  often  the  begin 
ning  of  their  winter. 

OH  unhappy  Italy  !  Doeft  thou  not 
fee,  that  gluttony  and  excefs  rob  thee, 
every  year,  of  more  inhabitants  than 
peftilence,  war,  and  famine  could  have 
done  ?  Thy  true  plagues,  are  thy  nu 
merous  luxuries  in  which  thy  deluded  ci 
tizens  indulge  themfelves  to  an  excefs 
unworthy  of  the  rational  character,  and 
utterly  ruinous  to  their  health.  Put  a 
flop  to  this  fatal  abufe,  for  God's  fake, 
for  there  is  not,  I  am  certain  of  it,  a 
vice  more  abominable  in  the  eyes  of  the 
divine  Ivlajefty,  nor  any  more  deflruc- 
tive.  How  many  have  I  feen  cut  off,  in 
the  flower  of  their  days  by  this  unhappy 
cuftom  of  high  feeding  !  How  many  ex 
cellent  friends  has  gluttony  deprived  me 

of, 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.  3 

of,  who,  but  for  this  accurfed  vice,  might 
have  been  an  ornament  to  the  world,  an 
honour  to  their  country,  and  have  af 
forded  me  as  much  joy  in  their  lives,  as 
I  now  feel  concern  at  their  deaths. 

IN  order,  therefore,  to  put  a  flop  to 
fo  great  an  evil,  I  have  undertaken  this  lit 
tle  book,  and  I  attempt  it  the  more  readi 
ly,  as  many  young  gentlemen  have  re- 
queflecl  it  of  me,  moved  thereto  by  fee 
ing  their  fathers  drop  off  in  the  flower 
of  their  youth,  and  me  fo  found  and 
hearty  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  They 
begged  me  to  let  thenf  know  by  what 
means  I  attained  to  fuch  excellent  health 
and  fpirits  at  my  time  of  life.  I  could 
not  but  think  their  curiofity  very  laud 
able,  and  was  willing  to  gratify  them, 
and  at  the  fame  time  do  fome  fervice  to 
my  countrymen,  by  declaring,  in  the  firfl 
place,  what  led  me  to  renounce  intem 
perance  and  lead  a  temperate  life  ;  fe- 
condly,  by  fhewing  the  rules  I  obferved ; 

and 


4  THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

and  thirdly,  what  unfpeakable  fatisfac- 
tion  and  advantage  I  derived  from  it ; 
whence  it  may  be  very  clearly  feen  how 
eafy  a  thing  it  is  for  a  wife  man  to  efcape 
all  the  curfes  of  intemperance,  and  fecure 
to  himfelf  the  ineflimable  felicities  of 
vigorous  health  and  chearful  age. 

THE  firft  thing  that  led  me  to  em 
brace  a  temperate  life,  was,  the  many 
and  fore  evils  which  I  fuffered  from 
the  contrary  courfe  of  living ;  my 
conftitution  was  naturally  weakly  and 
delicate,  which  ought  in  reafon  to  have 
made  me  more  regular  and  prudent,  but 
being  like  moil  young  men,  too  fond  of 
what  is  ufually  called  good  eating  and 
drinking,  I  gave  the  rein  to  my  appetites. 
In  a  little  time  I  began  to  feel  the  ill  ef- 
fefts  of  fuch  intemperance  ;  for  I  had 
fcarce  attained  to  my  thirty-fifth  year,  be 
fore  I  was  attacked  with  a  complication 
of  diforders,  fuch  as,  head-achs,  a  fick 
ftomach,  cholicky  uneafinefles,  the  gout, 

rheumatic 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.  5 

rheumatic  pains,  lingering  fevers,  and 
continual  thirft  ;  and  though  I  was  then 
but  in  the  middle  of  my  days,  my  con- 
ftitution  feemed  fo  entirely  ruined  that  I 
could  hardly  hope  for  any  other  termi 
nation  to  my  fufferings  but  death. 

THE  beft  phyficians  in  Italy  employed 
all  their  fkill  in  my  behalf,  but  to  no  ef- 
fed.  At  lafl  they  told  me,  very  candidly, 
that  there  was  but  one  thing  that  could 
afford  me  a  fmgle  ray  of  hope,  but  one 
medicine  that  could  give  a  radical  cure, 
<viz.  the  immediate  adoption  of  a  temper 
ate  and  regular  life.  They  added  more 
over,  that,  now,  I  had  no  time  to  lofe, 
that  I  muft  immediately,  either  chufe  a 
regimen  or  death,  and  that  if  I  deferred 
their  advice  much  longer,  it  would  be 
too  late  for  ever  to  do  it.  This  was 
a  home  thruft.  I  could  not  bear  the 
thoughts  of  dying  fo  foon,  and  being  con 
vinced  of  their  abilities  and  experience, 
I  thought  the  wifeft  courfe  I  could  take, 
B  2  would 


6  THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

would  be  to  follow  their  advice,  how 
difagreeable  foever  it  might  feem. 

I  THEN  requefted  my  phyficians  to  tell 
me  exaftly  after  what  manner  I  ought  to 
govern  myfelf  ?  To  this  they  replied,  that 
I  fhould  always  confider  myfelf  as  an  in 
firm  perfon;  eat  nothing  but  what  agreed 
with  me,  and  that  in  fmall  quantity.  I 
then  immediately  entered  on  this  new 
courfe  of  life,  and,  with  fo  determined  a 
refolution,  that  nothing  has  been  fince 
able  to  divert  me  from  it.  In  a  few  days 
I  perceived  that  this  new  way  of  living 
agreed  very  well  with  me ;  and  in  lefs 
than  a  twelvemonth  I  had  the  unfpeak- 
able  happinefs  to  find  that  all  my  late  a- 
larming  fymptoms  were  vanifhed,  and 
that  I  was  perfectly  reftored  to  health. 

No  fooner  had  I  began  to  tafte  the 
fweets  of  this  new  refurre&ion,  but  I 
made  many  very  pleafmg  reflections  on 
the  great  advantage  of  temperance,  and 
thought  within  myielf, "  if  this  virtue  has 

"  had 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.  7 

"  had  ib  divine  an  efficacy,  as  to  cure  me 
"  of  fuch  grievous  diforders,  furely  it 
"  will  help  my  bad  conftitution  and  con- 
66  firm  my  health,"  I  therefore  applied 
myfelf  diligently  to  difcover  what  kinds 
of  food  were  propereft  for  me,  and  made 
choice  of  fuch  meats  and  drinks  only  as 
agreed  with  my  conftitution,  obferving 
it  as  an  inviolable  law  with  myfelf,  always 
to  rife  with  an  appetite  to  eat  more  if  I  pie af- 
cd.  In  a  word,  I  entirely  renounced  in 
temperance,  and  made  a  vow  to  continue 
the  remainder  of  my  life  under  the  fame 
regimen  I  had  obferved :  A  happy  refo- 
lution  this!  The  keeping  of  which  entire 
ly  cured  me  of  all  my  infirmities.  I  ne 
ver  before  lived  a  year  together,  without 
falling  once,  at  leaft,  into  fome  violent  ill- 
nefs  ;  but  this  never  happened  to  me  af 
terwards  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  have  always 
been  healthy  ever  fmce  I  was  temperate. 
I  MUST  not  forget  here  to  mention 
a  circumftance  of  confiderable  confe- 

quence. 


8  THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

quence.  I  have  been  telling  of  a  great, 
and  to  me,  a  moft  happy  change  in  my 
way  of  living.  Now  all  changes,  tho' 
from  the  worji  to  the  left  habits,  are,  at 
firft,  difagreeable,  I  found  it  fo ;  for 
having  long  accuflomed  myfelf  to  high 
feeding,  I  had  contracted  fuch  a  fond- 
nefs  for  it,  that  though  I  was  daily  de- 
ftroying  myfelf,  yet  did  it,  at  firft,  coft 
me  fome  ftruggle  to  relinquifh  it.  Na 
ture,  long  ufed  to  hearty  meals,  expefted 
them,  and  was  quite  diflatisfied  with  my 
moderate  repafts.  To  divert  my  mind 
from  thefe  little  difTatisfa&ions,  I  ufed 
immediately  after  dinner,  to  betake  my 
felf  to  fome  innocent  amufement  or  ufe- 
ful  purfuit,  fuch  as,  my  devotions,  my 
book,  mufic,  &c. 

BUT  to  return. — Befides  the  two  fore* 
going  important  rules  about  eating  and 
drinking,  that  is,  not  to  take  of  any 
thing,  but  as  much  as  my  ftomach  could 
cafily  digeft,  and  to  ufe  thofe  things  only 

which 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.  $ 

which  agreed  with  me.  I  have  very 
carefully  avoided  all  extremes  of  heat  and 
cold,  exceffive  fatigue,  interruption  of 
my  ufual  time  of  reft,  late  hours ,  and  too 
clofe  and  intenfe  thinking.  I  am  likewife 
greatly  indebted  for  the  excellent  health 
I  enjoy,  to  that  calm  and  temperate  ftate 
in  which  I  have  been  careful  to  keep 
my  paffions. 

THE  influence  of  the  paffions  on  the 
nerves,  and  health  of  our  bodies,  is  fo 
great,  that  none  can  poffibly  be  ignorant 
of  it.  He  therefore  who  ferioufly  wifhes 
to  enjoy  good  health,  muft,  above  all 
things,  learn  to  conquer  his  paffions, 
and  keep  them  in  fubjeftion  to  reafon. 
For  let  a  man  be  never  fo  temperate  in 
diet,  or  regular  in  exercife,  yet  Hill  fomc 
unhappy  paffion,  if  indulged  to  excefs, 
will  prevail  over  all  his  regularity,  and 
prevent  the  good  effefts  of  his  tempe 
rance  ;  no  words,  therefore,  can  ade 
quately  exprefs  the  wifdom  of  guarding 

againft 


10         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

againft  an  influence  fo  deftru&ive.  Fear, 
anger,  grief,  envy,  hatred,  malice,  re 
venge  and  defpair,  are  known  by  eter 
nal  experience,  to  weaken  the  nerves, 
diforder  the  circulation,  impair  digef- 
tion,  and  often  to  bring  on  a  long  train 
of  hyfterical  and  hypochondriacal  difor- 
ders  ;  and  extreme  fudden  fright,  has 
often  occafioned  immediate  death. 

ON  the  other  hand,  moderate  joy,  and 
all  thofe  affections  of  the  mind  which 
partake  of  its  nature,  as  chearfulnefs, 
contentment,  hope,  virtuous  and  mutual 
love,  and  courage  in  doing  good,  invi 
gorate  the  nerves,  give  a  healthy  motion 
to  the  fluids,  promote  perfpiration,  and 
affift  digeftion;  but  violent  anger  (which 
differs  from  madnefs  only  in  duration) 
throws  the  whole  frame  into  tempefl  and 
convulfion,  the  countenance  blackens, 
the  eyes  glare,  the  mouth  foams,  and  in 
place  of  the  mod  gentle  and  amiable,  it 
makes  ,a  man  the  mod  frightful  and  ter 
rible 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          II 

rible  of  all  animals.  The  effefts  of  this 
dreadful  paflion  do  not  flop  here  ;  it 
never  fails  to  create  bilious,  inflamma 
tory.,  convulfive,  and  fometimes  apoplec 
tic  disorders,  and  fuddeii  death. 

SOLOMON  was  thoroughly  fenfible  of 
the  deftru&ive  tendencies  of  ungovern- 
ed  paffions,  and  has,  in  many  places,  cau 
tioned  us  againfl  them.  He  emphati 
cally  ftyles  "  envy  a  rottennefs  of  the 
"  bones  ;"  and  fays,  that  "  wrath  flay- 
"  eth  the  angry  man,  and  envy  killeth 
"  the  filly  one*  ;"  and,  "  that  the  wick- 
"  ed  fhali  not  live  out  half  their  days." 

For 


reader  will  I  hope  excufe  me  for  relating 
the  following  tragical  anecdote,  to  confirm  what  the 
benevolent  Cornaro  has  faid  on  the  baneful  effects  of 
envy,  £c. 

IN  the  city  of  York  in  England,  there  diedfome 
time  ago,  a  young  lady  by  the  name  ofD  -  —  n. 
For  five  years  before  her  death,  me  appeared  to  be 
lingering  raid  melancholy.  Her  flefh  withered  away, 
her  appetite  decayed,  her  ftrength  failed,  her  feet 
could  no  longer  fuftain  her  tottering  emaciated  body, 
and  her  diflblution  feemcd  at  hand.  One  day  me 
called  her  intimate  friends  to  her  bed-fide,  and  as 
well  as  me  could,  fpoke  to  the  following  effect  : 


12         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

For  as  violent  gales  of  wind  will  foon 
wreck  the  ftrongeft  fhips,  fo  violent  paf- 
fions  of  hatred,  anger,  and  forrow,  will 
foon  deflroy  the  belt  conflitutions. 

HOWEVER,  I  muft  confefs  to  my 
jfhame,  that  I  have  not  been  at  all  times 

fo 

"  I  KNOW  you  all  pity  me,  but  alas !  I  amnot 
worthy  of  your  pity  ;  for  all  my  mifery  is  entirely  ow- 
ingto  the  wickednefs  of  my  own  heart.  I  have  two 
filters  ;  and  I  have  all  my  life  been  unhappy,  for  no 
other  reafon  but  becaufe  of  their  profperity.  When 
we  were  young,  I  could  neither  eat  nor  fleep  in  com 
fort,  if  they  had  either  praife  or  pleafure.  As  foon 
as  they  were  grown  to  be  women,  they  married  great 
ly  to  their  advantage  and  fatisfaction  :  this  galled  me 
to  the  heart ;  and  though  I  had  feveral  good  offers, 
yet  thinking  them  rather  unequal  to  my  frfters,  I  re- 
fufed  them,  and  then  was  inwardly  vexed  and  di£ 
trefled,  for  fear  I  mould  get  no  better.  I  never 
wanted  for  any  thing,  and  might  have  been  very 
happy,  but  for  this  wretched  temper.  My  fitters 
loved  me  tenderly,  for  I  concealed  from  them  as 
much  as  poflible  this  odious  pailion,  and  yet  never 
did  any  poor  wretch  lead  fo  miferable  a  life  as  I  have 
done,  for  every  blefling  they  enjoyed  was  a  dagger 
to  my  heart.  'Tis  this  Envy,  which;'  preying  on 
my  very  vitals,  has  ruined  my  health,  and  is  now 
carrying  me  down  to  the  grave.  Pray  for  me,  that 
GOD  of  his  infinite  mercy  may  forgive  me  this  hor 
rid  fin  ;  and  with  my  dying  breath  I  conjure  you  all, 
to  check  the  firft  rifmgs  of  a  paffion  that  has  proved 
fo  fatal  to  me." 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          13 

fo  much  of  a  philofopher  and  Chriftian, 
as  entirely  to  avoid  thefe  diforders  :  but 
I  have  reaped  the  benefit  of  knowing  by 
my  own  repeated  experience,  that  thefe 
malignant  paffions  have  in  general  a  far 
lefs  pernicious  effeft  on  bodies  that  are 
rendered  firm  and  vigorous  by  tempe 
rance,  than  on  thofe  that  are  corrupted 
and  weakened  by  gluttony  and  excefs. 

IT  was  hard  for  me  to  avoid  every  ex 
treme  of  heat  and  cold,  and  to  live  above 
all  the  occafions  of  trouble  which  attend 
the  life  of  man  ;  but  yet  thefe  things 
made  no  great  impreffion  on  the  ftate  of 
my  health,  though  I  met  with  many 
inftances  of  perfons  who  funk  under  lefs 
weight  both  of  body  and  mind. 

THERE  was  in  our  family  a  confider- 
able  law-fuit  depending  againft  fome  per 
fons,  whofe  might  overcame  our  right. 
One  of  my  brothers,  and  fome  of  my 
relations,  were  fo  mortified  and  grieved 
on  account  of  the  Ictfs  of  this  fuit,  that 
c  they 


14         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

they  a&ually  died  of  broken  hearts.  I 
was  as  fenfible  as  they  could  be,  of  the 
great  injuftice  done  us,  but  thank  GOD, 
fo  far  from  breaking  my  heart,  it  fcarce- 
ly  broke  my  repofe.  And  I  afcribe  their 
fufferings  and  my  fafety,  to  the  difference 
of  our  living.  Intemperance  and  floth 
had  fo  weakened  their  nerves,  and  bro 
ken  their  fpirits,  that  they  eafily  funk 
under  the  weight  of  misfortune.  While 
temperance  and  aftive  life  had  fo  invigo 
rated  my  conftitution,  as  to  make  me 
happily  fuperior  to  the  evils  of  this  mo 
mentary  lif 

AT  fevefny  years  of  age,  I  had  another 
experiment  of  the  ufefulnefs  of  my  regi 
men.  Some  bufmefs  of  confequence 
calling  me  into  the  country,  my  coach- 
horfes  ran  away  with  me  ;  I  was  overfet 
and  dragged  a  long  way  before  they 
could  ftop  the  horfes.  They  took  me 
out  of  the  coach  with  my  head  batter 
ed,  a  leg  and  an  arm  out  of  joint,  and 

truly 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          15 

truly  in  a  very  lamentable  condition. 
As  foon  as  they  had  brought  me  home, 
they  fent  for  the  phyficians,  who  did  not 
expeft  I  could  live  three  days  :  however, 
I  was  foon  cured,  to  the  great  aftonifh- 
ment  of  the  phyficians,  and  of  all  thofe 
who  know  me. 

I  BEG  leave  to  relate  one  more  anec 
dote,  as  an  additional  proof  what  an 
impenetrable  fhield  temperance  prefents 
againft  the  evils  of  life. 

ABOUT  five  years  ago,  I  was  over-per- 
fuaded  to  a  thing,  which  had  like  to  have 
coft  me  dear.  My  relations,  whom  I  love, 
and  who  have  a  real  tendernefs  for  me  ; 
my  friends,  with  whom  I  was  willing  to 
comply  in  any  thing  that  was  reafonable  ; 
laftly,  my  phyficians,  who  were  looked 
upon  as  the  oracles  of  health,  did  all 
agree  that  I  eat  too  little  ;  that  the  nou- 
rifhment  I  took  was  not  fufficient  for  one 
of  my  years ;  that  I  ought  not  only  to 
fnpport  nature,  but  likewife  to  increafe 

th* 


l6         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

the  vigour  of  it,  by  eating  a  little  more 
than  I  did.  It  was  in  vain  for  me  to  re- 
prefent  to  them,  that  nature  is  content 
with  a  little ;  that  with  this  little  I  had 
enjoyed  excellent  health  fo  many  years  ; 
that  to  me  the  habit  of  it  was  become  a 
fecond  nature ;  and  that  it  was  more 
agreeable  to  reafon,  that  as  I  advanced 
in  years  and  loft  my  ftrength,  I  fhould 
rather  leffen  than  increafe  the  quantity  of 
my  food,  efpecially  as  the  powers  of  the 
ftomach  muft  grow  weaker  from  year  to 
year.  To  ftrengthen  my  arguments,  I 
urged  thofe  two  natural  and  true  pro 
verbs  ;  one,  that  he  who  would  eat  a 
great  deal  muft  eat  but  little  ;  that  is  eat* 
ing  little  makes  a  man  live  long,  he  mufl 
eat  a  great  deal.  The  other  proverb  was, 
that  what  we  leave,  after  making  a  hear 
ty  meal,  does  us  more  good  than  what 
we  have  eaten.  But  neither  my  proverbs 
nor  arguments  could  filence  their  affec 
tionate  intreaties.  Wherefore  to  pleafe 

perfons 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.  17 

perfons  who  where  fo  dear  to  me,  I  con- 
fented  to  increafe  the  quantity  of  food, 
but  with  too  ounces  only.  So  that,  as 
before  I  had  always  taken  but  twelve 
ounces  of  folid  food  in  the  day,  I  now 
increafed  it  to  fourteen,  and  as  before  I 
drank  but  fourteen  ounces  of  wine  in  the 
day,  I  now  increafed  it  to  fixteen.  This 
increafe  had  in  eight  days  time  fuch  an 
effeft  on  me,  that  from  being  remark 
ably  chearful  and  brifk,  I  began  to  be 
peevifh  and  melancholy,  and  was  con- 
ftantly  fo  flrangely  difpofed,  that  I  nei 
ther  knew  what  to  fay  to  others,  nor 
what  to  do  with  myfelf.  On  the  twelfth 
day  I  was  attacked  with  a  moil  violent 
pain  in  my  fide,  which  held  me  twenty- 
two  hours,  and  was  followed  by  a  violent 
fever  which  continued  thirty-five  days, 
without  giving  me  a  moment's  refpite. 
However  GOD  be  praifed,  I  recovered, 
though  in  my  feventy-eighth  year,  and  in 
the  coldeft  feafon  of  a  very  cold  winter, 
c  2  and 


1 8          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

and  reduced  to  a  mere  fkeleton  ;  and  I  am 
pofitive,  that,  next  to  GOD,  I  am  moft 
indebted  to  temperance,  for  my  recovery. 
O  how  great  is  the  evil  of  intemperance, 
which  could,  in  a  few  days  bring  on  me 
fo  fevere  an  illnefs,  and  how  glorious  are 
the  virtues  of  temperance,  which  could 
thus  bear  me  up,  and  fnatch  me  from  the 
jaws  of  death !  Would  all  men  but  live 
regularly  and  temperately,  there  would 
not  be  a  tenth  of  that  ficknefs  which  now 
makes  fo  many  melancholy  families,  nor 
any  occafion  for  a  tenth  part  of  thofe 
naufeous  medicines,  which  they  are  now 
obliged  to  fwallow  in  order  to  carry  off 
thofe  bad  humours  with  which  they  have 
filled  their  bodies  by  over  eating  and 
drinking. — To  fay  the  truth  would  every 
one  of  us  but  pay  a  becoming  attention 
to  the  quantity  and  quality  of  what  he 
eats  and  drinks,  ancTcarefully  obferve  the 
effefts  it  has  upon  him,  lie  would  foon 
become  his  own  phyfician ;  and  indeed 

the 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          19 

the  very  beft  he  could  poffibly  have,  for 
people's  conftitutions  are  as  different  as 
their  faces ;  and  it  is  impoffible,  in  many 
very  important  inftances,  for  the  mod 
Ikilful  phyficians  to  tell  a  man  of  obfer- 
vation,  what  would  agree  with  his  con- 
ftitution  fo  well  as  he  knows  himfelf.  I 
am  willing  to  allow  that  a  phyfician  may 
be  fometimes  neceflary ;  and  in  cafes 
of  danger,  the  fooner  the  better.  But 
for  the  bare  purpofe  of  preferving  our- 
felves  in  good  health,  there  needs  no 
better  phyfic  than  a  temperate  and  regu 
lar  life.  It  is  a  fpecific  and  natural  medi 
cine,  which  preferves  the  man,  how  ten 
der  foever  his  conftitution  be,  and  pro 
longs  his  life  to  above  a  hundred  years, 
fpares  him  the  pain  of  a  violent  death, 
fends  him  quietly  out  of  the  world, 
when  the  radical  moifture  is  quite  fpent, 
and  which,  in  fliort,  has  all  the  proper 
ties  that  are  fancied  to  be  in  potable 

gold 


2O         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

gold,  which  a  great  many  perfons  have 
fought  after  in  vain. 

BUT  alas !  mofl  menfuffer  themfelves 
to  be  feduced  by  the  charms  of  a  vo 
luptuous  life.  They  have  not  cou 
rage  enough  to  deny  their  appetites  ; 
and  being  over-perfuaded  by  their  incli 
nations  fo  far,  as  to  think  they  cannot 
give  up  the  gratification  of  them,  with 
out  abridging  too  much  of  their  plea- 
fures,  they  devife  arguments  to  perfuade 
themfelves,  that  it  is  more  eligible  to  live 
ten  years  lefs,  than  to  be  upon  the  re- 
flraint,  and  deprived  of  whatever  may 
gratify  their  appetites.  Alas  !  they  know 
not  the  value  of  ten  years  of  healthy  life, 
in  an  age  when  a  man  may  enjoy  the 
full  ufe  of  his  reafon,  and  turn  all  his 
wifdom  and  experience  to  his  own,  and 
the  advantage  of  the  world.  To  in- 
ftance  only  in  the  fciences.  'Tis  certain 
that  fome  of  the  mofi  valuable  books 
now  extant,  were  written  in  thofe  laft 

ten 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          21 

ten  years  of  their  authors  lives,  which 
fome  men  pretend  to  undervalue ;  let 
fools  and  villains  undervalue  life,  the 
world  would  lofe  nothing  by  them,  die 
when  they  will.  But  it  is  a  lofs  indeed, 
when  wife  and  good  men  drop  into  the 
grave  ;  ten  years  of  life  to  men  of  that 
character,  might  prove  an  ineftimable 
bleffing  to  their  families  and  country.  Is 
fuch  an  one  a  prieft  only,  in  a  little  time 
he  might  become  a  bifliop,  and  by  living 
ten  years  longer,  might  render  the  mod 
important  fervices  to  the  world  by  his 
attive  diflemination  of  virtue  and  piety. 
Is  he  the  aged  parent  of  a  family,  then 
though  no  longer  equal  to  the  toils  of 
younger  years,  yet  by  his  venerable  pre- 
fence  and  matured  counfels,he  may  con 
tribute  more  to  the  harmony  and  hap- 
pinefs  of  his  children,  than  all  their  la 
bours  put  together.  And  fo  with  all 
others,  whether  in  church  or  ftate,  army 
or  navy,  wrho  are  advanced  in  years, 

though 


22          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

though  not  equal  to  the  aftive  exercifes 
of  youth,  yet  in  corifequence  of  their  fu- 
perior  wifdom  and  experiences,  their 
lives  may  be  of  more  fervice  to  their 
country,  than  the  lives  of  thoufands  of 
citizens.  Some,  I  know,  are  fo  unrea- 
fonable  as  to  fay  that  it  is  impoffible  to 
lead  fuch  a  regular  life.  To  this  I  an- 
fwer,  Galen,  that  great  phyfician,  led 
fuch  a  life,  and  advifed  others  to  it  as 
the  beft  phyfic.  Plato,  Cicero.,  Ifocrates, 
and  a  great  many  famous  men  of  paft 
and  prefent  times,  have  praftifed  it,  and 
thereby  arrived  to  an  extreme  old  age. 

You  will  tell  me  that  Plato,  as  fober 
a  man  as  he  was,  yet  affirmed,  that  it  is 
difficult  for  a  man  in  public  life  to  live 
fo  temperately,  being  often  in  the  fer 
vice  of  the  (late,  expofed  to  the  badnefs 
of  weather,  to  the  fatigues  of  travelling, 
and  to  eat  whatever  he  can  meet  with. 
This  cannot  be  denied ;  but  then  I  main 
tain,  that  thefe  things  will  never  haflen 


a  man's 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          23 

a  man's-  death,  provided  he  accuftorns 
himfelf  to  a  frugal  way  of  living.  There 
is  no  man,  in  what  condition  foever  but 
may  keep  from  over-eating  ;  and  there 
by  happily  prevent  thofe  diilempers  that 
are  caufed  by  excefs.  They  who  have 
the  charge  of  public  affairs  committed  to 
their  truft,  are  more  obliged  to  it  than 
any  others  :  where  there  is  no  glory  to 
be  got  for  their  country,  they  ought  not 
to  facrifice  themfelves  :  they  fhould  pre- 
ferve  themfelves  to  ferve  it ;  and  if  they 
purfue  my  method,  it  is  certain  they 
would  ward  off  the  diftempers  which 
heat  and  cold  and  fatigues  might  bring 
upon  them  ;  or  fhould  they  be  difturbed 
with  them  it  would  be  but  very  lightly. 
IT  may  likewife  be  obje&ed,  that  if 
one  who  is  well,  is  dieted  like  one  that 
is  fick,  he  will  be  at  a  lofs  about  the 
choice  of  his  diet,  when  any  diftemper 
comes  upon  him.  To  this  I  fay,  that 
nature,  ever  attentive  to  the  prefervation 

of 


24         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

of  her  children,  teaches  us  how  we  ought 
to  govern  ourfelves  in  fuch  a  cafe.  She 
begins  by  depriving  us  fo  entirely  of 
out  appetites,  that  we  can  eat  little  or 
nothing.  At  that  time,  whether  the  fick 
perfon  has  been  fober  or  intemperate,  no 
other  food  ought  to  be  ufed,  but  fuch  as 
is  proper  for  his  condition ;  fuch  as 
broth,  jellies,  cordials,  barley-water,  &c. 
When  his  recovery  will  permit  him  to 
ufe  a  more  folid  nourifhment,  he  mufl 
take  lefs  than  he  was  ufed  to  before  his 
ficknefs  ;  and  notwithflanding  the  ea- 
gernefs  of  his  appetite,  he  mull  take  care 
of  his  ftomach,  till  he  is  perfectly  cured. 
Should  he  do  otherwife,  he  would  over 
burden  nature,  and  infallibly  relapfe  in 
to  the  danger  he  had  efcaped.  But  not- 
withftanding  this,  I  dare  aver,  that  he 
who  leads  a  fober  and  regular  life,  will 
hardly  ever  be  fick ;  or  but  feldom,  and 
for  a  Ihort  time*  This  wray  of  living 
preferves  us  from  thofe  bad  humours 

which 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          25 

which  occafion  our  infirmities,  and  by 
confequence  heals  us  of  all  thofe  diftem- 
pers  which  they  occafion.  I  do  not  pre 
tend  to  fay  that  every  body  muft  eat  ex- 
adtly  as  little  as  I  do,  or  abftain  from 
fruit,  fifli,  and  other"  things  from  which 
I  abftain,  becaufe  fuch  difhes  difagree 
with  me.  They  who  are  not  difordered 
by  fuch  difhes,  are  under  no  obligation 
to  abftain  from  them.  But  they  are 
under  the  greateft  obligations  to  feed 
moderately,  even  on  the  moft  innocent 
food,  fince  an  overloaded  ftomach  can 
not  digeft. 

IT  fignifies  nothing  to  tell  me  that 
there  are  feveral,  who,  though  they  live 
very  irregularly,  yet  enjoy  excellent 
health  and  fpirits,  and  to  as  advanced  an 
age,  as  thofe  who  live  ever  fo  foberly. 
For  this  argument  is  founded  on  fuch 
uncertainty  and  hazard,  and  occurs  fo 
feldom,  as  to  look  more  like  a  miracle 
than  the  regular  work  of  nature.  And 
D  thofe, 


26          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

thofe,  who,  on  the  credit  of  their  youth 
and  conftitution^  will  pay  any  regard  to  fo 
idle  an  objection,  may  depend  on  it,  that 
they  are  the  betrayers  and  miners  of 
their  own  health. 

AND  I  can  confidently  and  truly  af 
firm,  that  an  old  man,  even  of  a  bad 
conftitution,  who  leads  a  regular  and 
fober  life,  is  furer  of  a  longer  one,  than 
a  young  man  of  the  beft  conftitution 
who  lives  diforderly.  All  therefore  who 
have  a  mind  to  live  long  and  healthy, 
and  die  without  ficknefs  of  body  or 
mind,  muft  immediately  begin  to  live 
temperately,  for  fuch  a  regularity  keeps 
the  humours  of  the  body  mild  and  fweet, 
and  fuffers  no  grofs  fiery  vapours  to  af- 
cend  from  the  ftomach  to  the  head ; 
hence  the  brain  of  him  who  lives  in  that 
manner  enjoys  fuch  a  conftant  ferenity, 
that  he  is  always  perfectly  mafter  of 
himfelfc  Happily  freed  from  the  tyran 
ny  of  bodily  appetites  and  paffions,  he 

eafily 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOPv          CLJ 

eafily  foars  above,  to  the  exalted  and 
delightful  contemplation  of  heavenly 
objefts ;  by  this  means  his  mind  be 
comes  gradually  enlightened  with  divine 
truth,  and  expands  itfelf  to  the  glorious 
enrapturing  view  of  the  Power,  Wif- 
dom,  and  Goodnefs  of  the  Almighty. 
—He  then  defcends  to  nature,  and  ac 
knowledges  her  for  the  fair  daughter  of 
GOD,  and  views  her  varied  charms  with 
fentiments  of  admiration,  joy,  and  gra 
titude,  becoming  the  moil  favoured  of 
all  fublunary  beings.  He  then  clearly 
difcerns,  and  generoufiy  laments  the 
wretched  fate  of  thofe  who  will  not  give 
themfelves  the  trouble  to  fubdue  their 
paffions ;  and  thofe  three  moft  enfnaring 
1  ufts,  the  luft  of  the  flefh,  the  luft  of  ho 
nours,  and  the  luft  of  riches,  which  all 
wife  and  good  men  have  firmly  oppof- 
ed  and  conquered,  when  they  paffed 
through  this  mortal  ftate ;  for  knowing 
fuch  paffions  to  be  inconfiftent  with  rea- 

fon 


28         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

fon  and  happinefs,  they  at  once  nobly 
broke  through  their  fnares,  and  applied 
themfelves  to  virtue  and  good  works, 
and  fo  became  men  of  good  and  fober 
lives.  And  when  in  procefs  of  time,  and 
after  a  long  feries  of  years,  they  fee  the 
period  of  their  days  drawing  nigh,  they 
are  neither  grieved  nor  alarmed.  Full 
of  acknowledgments  for  the  favours  al 
ready  received  from  GOD,  they  throw 
themfelves  into  the  arms  of  his  future 
mercy.  They  are  not  afraid  of  thofe 
dreadful  punifhments,  which  they  deferve 
who  have  fhortened  their  days  by  guilty 
intemperance.  They  die  without  com 
plaining,  fenfible  that  they  did  not  come 
into  this  world  to  flay  for  ever,  but  are 
pilgrims  and  travellers  to  a  far  better. 
Exulting  in  this  faith,  and  with  hopes 
big  with  immortality,  they  go  down  to 
the  grave  in  a  good  old  age,  enriched 
with  virtues,  and  laden  with  honours. 

AND 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          29 

AND  they  have  the  greater  reafon  not 
to  be  dejefted  at  the  thought  of  death, 
as  they  know  it  will  not  be  violent,  fever- 
ifh  or  painful.  Their  end  is  calm,  and 
they  expire,  like  a  lamp  when  the  oil 
is  fpent,  without  convulfion  or  agony, 
and  fo  they  pafs  gently  away,  without 
pain  or  ficknefs,  from  this  earthly  and 
corruptible  to  that  celeftial  and  eternal 
life,  whofe  happinefs  is  the  reward  of 
the  virtuous. 

O  HOLY,  happy,  and  thrice  bleffed 
temperance !  how  worthy  art  thou  of 
our  highefl  efteem !  and  how  infinitely 
art  thou  preferable  to  an  irregular  and 
diforderly  life !  Nay,  would  men  but. 
confider  the  effects  and  confequences  of 
both,  they  would  immediately  fee,  that 
there  is  as  wide  a  difference  between 
them,  as  there  is  betwixt  light  and 
darknefs,  heaven  and  hell.  Some  there 
are  who  tell  us  that  old  age  is  no  bleff- 
ing,  that  when  a  man  is  part  feventy, 
D  2  his 


30         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

his  life  is  nothing  but  weaknefs,  infir 
mity,  and  mifery.  But  I  can  affure 
thefe  gentlemen,  they  are  mightily  mif- 
taken ;  and  that  I  find  myfelf,  old  as  I 
am,  (which  is  much  beyond  what  they 
fpeak  of)  to  be  in  the  moft  pleafant  and 
delightful  ftage  of  life. 

To  prove  that  I  have  reafon  for  what 
I  fay,  they  need  only  enquire  how  I 
fpend  my  time,  wrhat  are  my  ufual  em 
ployments  ;  and  to  hear  the  teflimony 
of  all  thofe  that  know  me.  They  una- 
nimoufly  teftify,  that  the  life  I  lead,  is 
not  a  dead  and  languifhing  life,  but  as 
happy  a  one  as  can  be  wifhed  for  in  this 
world. 

THEY  will  tell  you,  that  I  am  ftill  fo 
ftrong  at  fourfcore  and  three,  as  to 
mount  a  horfe  without  any  help  or  ad 
vantage  of  fituation ;  that  I  can  not 
only  go  up  a  fingle  flight  of  flairs,  but 
climb  a  hill  from  bottom  to  top,  a-foot, 
and  with  the  greateft  eafe  j  that  I  am 

always 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         31 

always  merry,  always  pleafed,  always  in 
humour  ;  maintaining  a  happy  peace  in 
my  own  mind,  the  fweetnefs  and  fereni- 
ty  whereof  appear  at  all  times  in  my 
countenance. 

BESIDES,  they  know  that  it  is  in  my 
power  to  pafs  away  the  time  very  plea- 
fantly  ;  having  nothing  to  hinder  me 
from  tafting  all  the  pleafures  of  an  a- 
greeable  fociety,  with  feveral  perfons 
of  parts  and  worth.  When  I  am  will 
ing  to  be  alone,  I  read  good  books,  and 
fometimes  fall  to  writing ;  feeking  al 
ways  an  occafion  of  being  ufeful  to  the 
public,  and  doing  fervice  to  private  per 
fons,  as  far  as  poffible.  I  do  all  this 
without  the  leafl  trouble ;  and  in  fuch 
times  as  I  fet  apart  for  thefe  employ 
ments* 

I  DWELL  in  a  houfe,  which,  befides 
its  being  fituated  in  the  pleafanteft  part 
of  Padua^  may  be  looked  on  as  the  moft 
convenient  and  agreeable  manfion  in 

that 


32         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

that  city.  I  there  make  me  apartments 
proper  for  the  winter  and  fummer, 
which  ferve  as  a  fhelter  -to  defend  me 
from  the  extreme  heat  of  the  one,  and 
the  rigid  coldnefs  of  the  other.  I  walk 
out  in  my  gardens,  along  my  canals  and 
walks  ;  where  I  always  meet  with  fome 
little  thing  or  other  to  do,  which,  at  the 
fame  time,  employs  and  amufes  me. 

I  SPEND  the  months  of  April 9  May, 
September,  and  Oflober,  at  my  country- 
houfe,  which  is  the  fined  fituation  ima 
ginable  :  the  air  of  it  is  good,  the 
avenues  neat,  the  gardens  magnificent, 
the  waters  clear  and  plentiful ;  and  this 
feat  may  well  pafs  for  an  inchanted 
palace. 

SOMETIMES  I  take  a  walk  to  my 
Villa,  all  whofe  ftreets  terminate  at  a 
large  fquare  ;  in  the  midft  of  which  is  a 
pretty  neat  church,  and  large  enough 
for  the  bignefs  of  the  pariftu 

THROUGH 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         33 

THROUGH  this  Villa  runs  a  rivulet ; 
and  the  country  about  it  is  enriched 
with  fruitful  and  well  cultivated  fields  ; 
having  at  prefent  a  confiderable  num 
ber  of  inhabitants.  This  was  not  fo 
formerly :  It  was  a  marfiiy  place,  and 
the  air  fo  unwholforne,  that  it  was  more 
proper  for  frogs  and  toads,  than  for 
men  to  dwell  in.  But  on  my  draining 
off  the  waters,  the  air  mended,  and  peo 
ple  reforted  to  it  fo  faft,  as  to  render 
the  place  very  populous ;  fo  that  I  may, 
with  truth,  fay,  that  I  have  here  dedica 
ted  to  the  LORD,  a  church^  altars,  and 
hearts  to  worfhip  him  ;  a  circumilance 
this,  which  affords  me  infinite  fatisfac- 
tion  as  often  as  I  refleft  on  it. 

IT  is  with  great  fatisfaftion  that  I  fee 
the  end  of  a  work  of  fuch  importance 
to  this  STATE,  I  mean  that  of  draining 
and  improving  fo  many  large  tra&s  of 
uncultivated  ground,  a  work  which  I  ne 
ver  expe&ed  to  have  feen  completed ; 

but, 


34         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

but,  thank  GOD,  I  have  lived  to  fee  it, 
and  was  even  in  perfon  in  thefe  marfhy 
places,  along  with  the  cornmifiaries,  for 

two  months  together,  during  the  heats 
of  fummer,  without  ever  finding  myfelf 

•  the  worfe  for  the  fatigues  I  underwent. 
Of  fuch  wonderful  efficacy  is  that  tem 
perate  life  which  I  conftantly  obferve. 

IF  in  difcourfmg  on  fo  important  a 
fubje£t  as  this,  it  be  allowable  to  fpeak 
of  trifles,  I  might  tell  you,  that  at  the 
age  of  fourfcore  and  three,  a  tempe 
rate  life  had  preferred  me  in  that  fpright- 
linefs  of  thought,  and  gaiety  of  hu 
mour,  as  to  be  able  to  compofe  a  very 
entertaining  comedy,  highly  moral  and 
inftru£tive,  without  (hocking  or  difguft- 
ing  the  audience;  an  evil  too  gene 
rally  attending  our  comedies,  and  which 
it  is  the  duty,  and  will  be  the  eternal 
honor  of  the  magiftracy  to  difcounte- 
nance  and  fupprefs,  fince  nothing  has  a 
more  fatal  tendency  to  corrupt  the  mo 
rals 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          35 

rals  of  youth,  than  fuch  plays  as  abound 
with  wanton  allufions,  and  wicked  fneers 
and  feoffs  on  religion  and  matrimony. 

As  an  addition  to  my  happinefs,  I  fee 
inyfelf  imniortalized  as  it  were,  by  the 
great  number  of  my  defcendants.  I  meet 
with,  on  my  return  home,  not  only  two 
or  three,  but  eleven  grand-children,   all 
bled  with  high  health,  fweet  difpontions, 
bright  parts,  and  of  promifing    hopes. 
I  take  a  delight  in  playing  with  the  little 
pratlers  ;  thofe  who  are   older   I   often 
fet   to    fmg  and  play  for  me  on  inftru- 
inents  of  mufic. — Call  you  this  an  in 
firm  crazy  old  age,  as  they  pretend,  who 
fay,  that  a  man  is   but  half  alive   after 
he  is  feventy  ?     They  may   believe   me 
if  they  pleafe,  but  really    I    would   not 
exchange  my  ferene  chearful   old    age, 
•writh  any  one  of  thofe  young  men,  even 
of  the  beft  conflitution,  who    give    the 
loofe  to  their  appetites  ;  knowing    as    I 
do,    that   they    are    thereby   fubjeciing 

themfelves 


36          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

themfelves  every  moment  to  difeafe  and 
death. 

I  REMEMBER  all  the  follies  of  which 
I  was  guilty  in  my  younger  days,  and 
am  perfectly  fenfible  of  the  many  and 
great  dangers  they  expofed  me  to.  I 
know  with  what  violence  young  perfons 
are  carried  away  by  the  heat  of  their 
blood.  They  prefume  on  their  ftrength, 
juft  as  if  they  had  taken  a  fure  leafe  of 
their  lives  :  and  mufl  gratify  their  appe 
tites  whatever  it  coft  them,  without  con- 
fidering  that  they  thereby  feed  thofe  ill 
humours,  which  do  moft  afluredly  haften 
the  approach  ofjfcknefi  and  death  ;  two 
evils,  which  of  all  others  are  the  moft 
unwelcome  and  terrible  to  the  wicked. 
The  firft  of  thefe,  ficknefs^  is  highly  un 
welcome,  becaufe  it  effectually  flops 
their  career  after  this  world's  bufmefs 
and  pleafures,  which  being  their  iole  de- 
lirfit  and  happinefs,  muft  be  inexpref- 
fibly  fad  and  mortifying.  And  the  impa 
tience 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.  37 
tience  and  gloom  of  ficknefs  is  rendered 
tenfold  more  infupportable  to  them,  be- 
caufe  it  finds  them  utterly  deftitute  of 
thofe  pious  affections,  'which  alone  can 
foothe  the  feverity  of  ficknefs  and  charm 
the  pangs  of  pain.  They  had  never 
cultivated  an  acquaintance  with  GOD, 
nor  accuftomed  themfelves  to  look  up 
to  him  as  to  a  merciful  Father,  who  fends 
affliction  to  wean  us  from  this  fcene  of 
vanity.  They  had  never,  by  prayers 
and  good  works,  endeavoured  to  fecure 
his  friendship,  or  cherilh  that  love  which 
would  make  his  difpenfations  welcome. 
So  that  unbleft  with  thefe  divine  confo- 
lations,  the  feafon  of  ficknefs  muft  be 
dark  and  melancholy  indeed ;  and  be- 
fides  all  this,  their  hearts  often  fink 
within  them  at  the  profpe£t  of  DEATH, 
that  ghaftly  king  of  terrors,  who  comes 
to  cut  them  off  from  all  their  dear  de 
lights  in  this  world,  and  fend  their  un 
willing  fouls  to  fuffer  the  punifhment 
E  which 


3&          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

which  their  own  guilty  confcience  tells 
them  is  due  to  their  wicked  lives. 

BUT  from  thefe  two  evils,  fo  dreadful 
to  many,  blefled  be  GOD,  I  have  but 
little  to  fear ;  for,  as  for  death,  I  have 
a  joyful  hope  that  that  change,  come 
when  it  may,  will  be  glorioufly  for  the 
better;  and  befides,  I  truft,  that  HE 
whofe  divine  voice  I  have  fo  long  obey 
ed,  will  gracioufly  fupport  and  comfort 
his  aged  fervant  in  that  trying  hour. 
And  as  forjicknefs,  I  feel  but  little  ap- 
prehenfion  on  that  account,  fmce  by 
my  divine  medicine  TEMPERANCE,  I 
have  removed  all  the  caufes  of  illnefs  ; 
fo  that  I  am  pretty  fure  I  ihall  never  be 
fick,  except  it  be  from  fome  intent  of 
Divine  mercy,  and  then  I  hope  I  Ihall 
bear  it  without  a  murmur,  and  find  it 
for  my  good.  Nay  I  have  reafon  to 
think  that  my  foul  has  fo  agreeable  a 
dwelling  in  my  body,  finding  nothing 
in  it  but  peace  and  harmony  between 

my 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          39 

my  reafon  and  fenfes,  that  fhe  is  very 
well  pleafed  with  her  prefent  fituation ; 
fo  that  I  truft  I  have  flill  a  great  many 
years  to  live  in  health  and  in  fpirits,  and 
enjoy  this  beautiful  world,  which  is  in 
deed  beautiful  to  thofe  who  know  how 
to  make  it  fo,  as  I  have  done,  and  like- 
wife  expeft  (with  GOD'S  affiftance)  to 
be  able  to  do  in  the  next. 

Now  fince  a  regular  life  is  fo  happy, 
and  its  bleffings  fo  permament  and  great, 
all  I  have  flill  left  to  do,  (fince  I  cannot 
accomplifh  my  wifhes  by  force)  is  to 
befeech  every  man  of  found  under- 
ftanding  to  embrace,  with  open  arms, 
this  moft  valuable  treafure  of  a  long 
and  healthy  life ;  a  treafure,  which,  as 
it  far  exceeds  all  the  riches  of  this 
world,  fo  it  deferves  above  all  things  to 
be  diligently  fought  after,  and  carefully 
preferved.  This  is  that  divine  fobriety, 
fo  agreeable  to  the  Deity,  the  friend  of 
nature,  the  daughter  of  reafon,  and  the 

fitter 


40          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

filler  of  all  the  virtues.  From  her,  as 
from  their  proper  root,  fpring  life, 
health,  chearfulnefs,  induftry,  learning, 
and  all  thofe  employments  worthy  of 
noble  and  generous  minds.  She  is  the 
bed  friend  and  fafeft  guardian  of  life  ; 
as  well  of  the  rich  as  of  the  poor ;  of 
the  old  as  of  the  young.  She  teaches 
the  rich  modefty  ;  the  poor  frugality  j 
jnen  continence ;  women  chaflity ;  the 
old,  how  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of 
death  \  and  beftows  on  youth,  firmer 
and  fecurer  hopes  of  life.  She  pre- 
Jerves  the  fenfes  clear,  the  body  light, 
the  underftanding  lively,  the  foul  brifk, 
the  memory  tenacious,  our  motions  free, 
,and  all  our  faculties  in  a  pleafmg  and 
agreeable  harmony. 

O  MOST  innocent  and  divine  fobriety  ! 
the  fole  refrefhment  of  nature,  the 
nurfing  mother  of  life,  the  true  phyfic 
of  foul  as  well  as  of  body.  How  ought 
men  to  praife  thee  for  thy  princely  gifts, 

for 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          4! 

for  thy  incomparible  bleffmgs !  But  as 
no  man  is  able  to  write  a  fufficient  pane 
gyric  on  this  rare  and  excellent  virtue, 
I  fliall  put  an  end  to  this  difcourfe, 
left  I  fhould  be  charged  with  excefs 
in  dwelling  fo  long  on  fo  pleafing  a 
fubjeft.  Yet  as  number lefs  things  may 
ftill  be  faid  of  it,  I  leave  off  with  an  in 
tention  to  fet  forth  the  reft  of  its  praifes 
at  a  more  convenient  opportunity. 


CHAP.      II. 

THE    METHOD   OF    CORRECTING    A   BAD 
CONSTITUTION. 

WAS  born  with  a  very  choleric,  hafty 
difpofition;  flew  into  a  paffion  for  the 
leaft  trifle,  huffed  every  body  about  me, 
and  was  fo  intolerably  difagreeable,  that 
many  perfons  of  gentle  manners  abfo- 
E   2  lately 


42          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

lutely  fhunned  my  company.     On  dif- 
covering  how  great  an  injury  I  was  do 
ing  myfelf,   I  at  once  refolved  to  make 
this  vile  temper  give  wray  to  reafon.     I 
confidered  that  a  man  overcome  by  paf- 
fion,  mufl  at  times,  be  no  better  than  a 
madman,   and  that  the  only  difference 
between  a  paffionate  and  a  madman,  is, 
that  the  one  has  loft  his  reafon  for  ever, 
and  the  other  is  deprived  of  it  by  fits 
only  ;    but  that  in  one  of  thefe,  though 
never  fo  Ihort,  he  may  do  fome  deed  of 
cruelty  or  death,   that  will  ruin  his  cha- 
rafter,  and  deftroy  his  peace  for  ever. 
A  fober  life,  by  cooling  the  fever  of  the 
blood,  contributed  much  to  cure  me  of 
this  frenzy  ;    and  I  am  now  become  fo 
moderate,  and  fo  much  a  mafter  of  my 
paffion,  that  no  body  could  perceive  that 
it  was  born  with  me. 

IT  is  true  indeed,  the  nioft  temperate 
may  fometinies  be  indifpofed,  but  then 
they  have  the  pleafure  to  think  that  it 

is 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          43 

is  not  the  effeQ:  of  their  own  vices  ; 
that  it  will  be  but  moderate  in  its  degree, 
and  of  fhort  continuance. 

MANY  have  faid  to  me,  "  How  can 

you,  when  at  a  table  covered  with  a  dozen 

delicious  dijhes   content  yourfelf  with    one 

di/Jj,  and  that  the  flaineft  too  at  the  table  ? 

It  muft  furely  be  a  great  mortification  to  you, 

to  fee  fo  many  ^  charming  things  before  you, 

and  yet  fcarcely  tafte  them."     This  quef- 

tion  has  frequently  been  put  to  me,  and 

with  an  air  of  furprize.     I  confefs  it  has 

often  made  me  unhappy  ;    for  it  proves 

that  fuch  perfons  are  got  to  fuch  a  pafs, 

as  to  look  on  the  gratification  of  their 

appetites  as  the  higheft  happinefs,   not 

confidering    that  the  mind  is    properly 

the  man,  and  that  it  is  in  the  affeftions 

of  a  virtuous  and  pious  mind,  a  man   is 

to  look  for  his  truefl  and  higheft  happi- 

nefs.    When  I  fit  down,  with  my  eleven 

grand-children,  to  a  table  covered  with 

various  dainties,  of  which,  for  the  fake 

of 


44          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

of  a  light  eafy  ftomach,  I  may  not,  at 
times,  chufe  to  partake,  yet, this  is  no 
mortificaton  to  me  ;  on  the  contrary, 
I  often  find  myfelf  moil  happy  at  thefe 
times.  How  can  it  otherwife  than  give 
me  great  delight  when  I  think  of  that 
goodnefs  of  GOD,  which  blefles  the 
earth  with  fuch  immenfe  (lores  of  good 
things  for  the  ufe  of  mankind ;  and 
which,  over  and  above  all  this  goodnefs, 
has  put  me  into  the  way  of  getting  fuch 
an  abundance  of  them  for  my  dear 
grand-children  ;  and,  befides  muft  it  not 
make  me  very  happy  to  think  that  I 
have  gotten  fuch  a  maftery  over  myfelf 
as  never  to  abufe  any  of  thofe  good 
things,  but  am  perfe&ly  contented  with 
fuch  a  portion  of  them  as  keeps  me  al 
ways  in  good  health.  O  what  a  tri 
umph  of  joy  is  this  to  my  heart !  What 
a  fad  thing  it  is  that  young  people  will 
not  take  inftruftion,  nor  get  .benefit 
from  thofe  who  are  older  and  wifer  than 

"themfelves! 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          45 

themfelves !  I  may  ufe,  in  this  matter, 
the  words  of  the  wife  man,  "  I  have 
feen  all  things  that  are  done  under  the 
fun/'  I  know  the  pleafures  of  eating, 
and  I  know  the  joys  of  a  virtuous  mind, 
and  can  fay  from  long  experience,  that; 
the  one  excelleth  the  other  as  far  as 
light  excelleth  darknefs  ;  the  one  are 
the  pleafures  of  a  mere  animal,  the 
other  thofe  of  an  angel. 

SOME  are  fo  thoughtlefs  as  to  fay, 
that  they  had  rather  be  affiifted  twice 
or  thrice  a  year  with  the  gout,  and  o- 
ther  diftempers,  than  deny  themfelves 
the  pleafure  of  eating  and  drinking  to 
the  full  of  fuch  things  as  they  like ;  that 
for  their  part  they  had  rather  eat  and 
drink  as  they  like,  though  it  Ihould 
fhorten  their  lives,  that  is,  "  give  them 
a  fhort  life  and  a  merry  one/'  It  is 
really  a  furprifing  and  fad  thing,  to  fee 
reafonable  creatures,  fo  ready  to  fwal- 
low  the  moft  dangerous  abfurdities.  For 

how 


46          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

how,  in  the  name  of  common  fenfe,  can 
the  life  of  a  glutton  or  a  lot  be  a  merry 
one  ?  If  men  could  eat  to  excefs,  drink 
to  fillinefs,  and  ruft  in  floth,  and  after 
all,  fuffer  no  other  harm  than  the  a- 
bridgement  of  ten  or  a  dozen  years  of 
life,  they  might  have  feme  little  excufe 
for  calling  it  a  merry  life,  though  furely 
it  could  appear  fo  to  none  but  perfons 
of  a  fadly  vitiated  tafte.  But  fince  an 
intemperate  life  will  affuredly  fow  in 
our  bodies  the  feeds  of  fuch  difeafes  as 
will,  after  a  few  fhort  years  of  feverifh 
pleafure,  make  life  a  burthen  to  us, 
with  what  face  can  any  reasonable  be 
ing  call  this  a  merry  life  ? 

O  SACRED  and  mofl  bountiful  Tem 
perance  !  how  greatly  am  I  indebted  to 
thee  for  refcuing  me  from  fuch  fatal  de- 
lufions ;  and  for  bringing  me,  through 
the  divine  benedidion,  to  the  enjoy 
ment  of  fo  many  felicities,  and  which,1 
over  and  above  all  thefe  favours  confer 
red 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          47 

red  on  thine  old  man,  haft  fo  ftrehgth- 
en^d  his  ftomach,  that  he  has  now  a 
better  reliih  for  his  dry  bread  than  he 
had  formerly  for  the  moft  exquifite 
dainties,  fo  that,  by  eating  little,  my  fto 
mach  is  often  craving  after  the  manna, 
which  I  fometimes  feaft  on  with  fo 
much  pleafure,  that  I  fhould  think  I 
trefpaffed  on  the  duty  of  temperance,  did 
I  not  know  that  one  muft  eat  to  fupport 
life  ;  and  that  one  cannot  ufe  a  plainer 
or  more  natural  diet. 

MY  fpirits  are  not  injured  by  what  I 
cat,  they  are  only  revived  and  fupported 
by  it.  I  can,  immediately  on  rifmg 
from  table,  fet  myfelf  to  write  or  ftudy, 
and  never  find  that  this  application, 
though  fo  hurtful  to  hearty  feeders, 
does  me  any  harm  ;  and,  befides,  I 
never  find  myfelf  drowfey  after  dinner, 
as  a  great  many  do  ; — the  reafon  is,  I 
feed  fo  temperately,  as  never  to  load 
my  flomach  nor  opprefs  my  nerves,  fo 

that 


48          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

that  I  am  always  as  light,  a&ive,  and 
chearful  after  meals  as  before. 

O  THOU  vile  wicked  intemperance, 
my  fworn  enemy,  who  art  good  for  no 
thing  but  to  murder  thofe  who  follow 
thee  ;  how  many  of  my  deareft  friends 
haft  thou  robbed  me  of,  in  confequence 
of  their  not  believing  me !  But  thou 
haft  not  been  able  to  deftroy  me  accord 
ing  to  thy  wicked  intent  and  purpofe. 
I  am  Hill  alive  in  fpite  of  thee,  and  have 
attained  to  fuch  an  age,  as  to  fee  around 
me  eleven  dear  grand-children,  all  of 
fine  underftandings,  and  amiable  difpo- 
fitions,  all  given  to  learning  and  virtue ; 
all  beautiful  in  their  perfons  and  lovely 
in  their  manners,  whom,  had  I  not  aban 
doned  thee  thou  infamous  fource  of  cor 
ruption,  I  fhould  never  have  had  the 
pleafure  to  behold.  Nor  fhould  I  enjoy 
thofe  beautiful  and  convenient  apart 
ments  which  I  have  built  from  the 
ground,  with  fuch  highly  improved  gar 
dens, 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          49 

dens,  as  required  no  fmall  time  to  attain 
their  prefent  perfection.  No,  thou  ac- 
curfed  hag,  thy  nature  is  to  impoverifh 
and  deftroy  thofe  who  follow  thee.  How 
many  wretched  orphans  have  I  feen 
embracing  dunghills  ;  how  many  mifer- 
able  mothers,  with  their  helplefs  in 
fants,  crying  for  bread,  while  their  de 
luded  fathers,  Haves  to  thy  devouring 
lufls,  were  wafting  their  fubftance  in 
rioting  and  drunkennefs ! 

BUT  thou  art  not  content  with  con- 
fuming  the  fubftance,  thou  wouldeft 
deftroy  the  very  families  of  thofe  who 
are  fo  mad  as  to  obey  thee.  The  tem 
perate  poor  man  who  labours  hard  all 
day,  can  boaft  a  numerous  family  of 
rofy  cheeked  children,  while  thy  pam 
pered  flaves,  funk  in  eafe  and  luxury, 
often  languifh  without  an  heir  to  their 
ample  fortunes.  But  fmce  thou  art  fo 
peftilential  a  vice,  as  to  poifon  and  de 
ftroy  the  greateft  part  of  mankind,  I 
F  am 


50          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

am  determined  to  ufe  my  utmoft  endea 
vours  to  extirpate  thee,  at  leafl  in  part. 
And  I  promife  myfelf,  that  my  dear  grand 
children  will  declare  eternal  war  againfl 
thee,  and  following  my  example,  will 
kt  the  world  fee  the  bleffednefs  of  a 
temperate  life,  and  fo  expofe  thee,  O 
cruel  intemperance  !  for  what  thou  real 
ly  art,  a  moft  wicked,  defperate,  and 
mortal  enemy  of  the  children  of  men. 

IT  is  really  a  very  furprifmg  and  fad 
thing  to  fee  perfons  grown  to  men's 
cftate,  and  of  fine  wit,  yet  unable  to 
govern  their  appetites,  but  tamely  fub- 
mitting  to  be  dragged  by  them  into  fuch 
cxcefles  of  eating  and  drinking,  as  not 
only  to  ruin  the  bed  conftitutions,  and 
ILorten  their  lives,  but  eclipfe  the  luftrc 
of  the  brightefl  parts,  and  bury  them- 
felves  in  utter  contempt  and  ufeleffnefs. 
O  what  promiffing  hopes  .have  been  {hip- 
wrecked,  what  immortal  honours  have 
been  facrificed  at  the  flirine  of  low  fen- 

fuality ; 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          5! 

fuality ;  Happy,  thrice  happy,  thofe  who 
have  early  been  inured  to  habits  of 
felf-denial,  and  taught  to  confider  the 
gratification  of  their  appetites  as  the  un 
failing  fource  of  difeafes  and  death.  Ye 
generous  parents  who  long  to  fee  your 
children  adorned  with  virtue,  and  be 
loved  as  the  benefa&ors  of  their  kind ; 
O  teach  them  the  unfpeakable  worth 
of  felf  government,  Unfupported  by 
this,  every  advantage  of  education  and 
opportunity  will  avail  them  but  little  : 
though  the  hiftory  of  ancient  worthies, 
and  the  recital  of  their  illuftrious  deeds, 
may  at  times  kindle  up  in  their  bofoms 
a  flame  of  glorious  emulation,  yet  alas ! 
this  glow  of  coveted  virtue,  this  flufh 
of  promifed  honor,  is  tranfient  as  a  gleam 
of  winter  funfhine;  foon  overfpread  and 
obfcured  by  the  dark  clouds  of  fenfuality. 


CHAP.  III. 


52          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOH. 

CHAP.     HI. 

A  LETTER  FROM  SIGNIOR  LEWIS  COR- 
NARO  TO  THE  RIGHT  REVEREND 
BARBARO,  PATRIARCH  OF  AQUI- 
LEIA. 

MY  LORD, 

WHAT  thanks  do  we  not  owe  to 
the  divine  goodnefs,  for  this 
wonderful  invention  of  wanting,  whereby 
we  can  eafily  communicate  to  cur  abfent 
friends,  whatever  may  afford  them  plea- 
fure  or  improvement !  By  means  of  this 
moft  welcome  contrivance,  I  fhall  now 
endeavour  to  entertain  you  with  matters 
of  the  greateft  moment.  It  is  true  in 
deed,  that  what  I  have  to  tell  you  is  no 
news, — but  I  never  told  it  ,you  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one.  Is  it  not  a  charming 
thing,  that  I  am  able  to  tell  you,  that  my 
health  and  ftrength  are  in  fo  excellent  a 

ftate, 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         53 

ftate,  that,  inflead  of  diminifhing  with 
my  age,  they  feem  to  increafe  as  I  grow 
old  ?  All  nly  acquaintance  are  furprifed 
at  it ;  but  I,  who  know  the  caufe  of  this 
fingular  happinefs,  do  every  where  de 
clare  it.  I  endeavour,  as  much  as  in 
me  lies,  to  convince  all  mankind,  that  a 
man  may  enjoy  a  paradife  on  earth  even 
after  the  age  of  four-fcore. 

Now  my  Lord,  I  muft  tell  you,  that 
within  thefe  few  days  paft,  feveral  learned 
Doctors  of  this  Univerfity  came  to  be 
informed  by  me,  of  the  method  I  take 
in  my  diet,  having  underftood  that  I 
am  full  healthful  and  ftrong ;  that  I 
have  my  fenfes  perfect ;  that  my  me 
mory,  my  heart,  my  judgment,  the  tone 
of  my  voice,  and  my  teeth,  are  all  as 
found  as  in  my  youth  ;  that  I  write  feven 
or  eight  hours  a  day,  and  fpend  the  reft 
of  the  day  in  walking  out  a-foot,  and  in 
taking  all  the  innocent  pleafures  that  are 

allowed 

F    2 


54         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

allowed  to  a  virtuous  man ;  even  mu- 
fic  itfelf  in  which  I  bear  my  part. 

AH,  Sir !  how  fweet  a  voice  would 
you  perceive  mine  to  be,  wrere  you  to  hear 
me,  like  another  David,  chant  forth  the 
praifes  of  GOD  to  the  found  of  my 
Lyre  !  You  would  certainly  be  furprifed 
and  charmed  with  the  harmony  which  I 
make.  Thofe  gentlemen  particularly 
admired,  with  what  eafmefs  I  write  on 
fubjefts  that  require  both  judgment  and 
fpirit. 

THEY  told  me,  that  I  ought  not  to  be 
looked  on  as  an  old  man,  fince  all  my 
employments  were  fuch  as  were  proper 
for  a  youth,  and  did  by  no  means  refem- 
ble  the  works  of  men  advanced  in  years  ; 
who  are  capable  of  doing  nothing  after 
fourfcore,  but  loaded  with  infirmities  and 
diftempers,  are  perpetually  languifhing 
in  pain,  not  half  f6  chearful,  pleafant 
and  happy  as  I  am, 

SEVERAL 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          55 

SEVERAL  phyficians  were  fo  good  as 
to  prognofticate  to  me,  ten  years  ago, 
that  it  was  impoffible  for  me  to  hold  out 
three  years  longer  :  however,  I  ftill  find 
myfelf  lefs  weak  than  ever,  and  am 
ftronger  this  year  than  any  that  went  be 
fore.  This  fort  of  miracle,  and  the  ma 
ny  favours  which  I  received  from  GOD, 
obliged  them  to  tell  me,  that  I  brought 
along  with  me  at  my  birth,  an  extraor 
dinary  and  fpecial  gift  of  nature ;  and 
for  the  proof  their  opinion,  they  em 
ployed  all  their  rhetoric,  and  made  feve- 
ral  elegant  fpeeches  on  that  head.  It 
mufl  be  acknowledged,  my  Lord,  that 
eloquence  has  a  charming  force  on  the 
mind  of  man,  fince  it  often  perfuades 
him  to  believe  that  which  never  was, 
and  never  could  be.  I  was  very  much 
pleafed  to  hear  them  difcourfe  j  and 
could  it  be  helped,  fince  they  were 
men  of  parts  who  harangued  at  that 
rate  ?  But  that  which  delighted  me  moft, 

was 


56         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

was  to  refleft,  that  age  and  experience 
may  render  a  man  wifer  than  all  the  col 
leges  in  the  world  can.  And  it  was  in 
truth  by  their  help,  that  I  -knew  the  er 
ror  of  that  notion.  To  undeceive  thofe 
gentlemen,  and  at  the  fame  time  fet 
them  right,  I  replied,  that  their  way  of 
arguing  was  not  juft  :  that  the  favour  I 
received  was  no  fpecial,  but  a  general 
and  univerfal  one  :  that  I  was  but  a 
man  as  well  as  others  :  that  we  have  all 
judgment  and  reafon,  which  the  Creator 
has  beftowed  on  us  to  preferve  our  lives  : 
that  man,  when  young,  being  more  fubjeft 
to  fenfe  than  reafon,  is  too  apt  to  give 
himfelf  up  to  pleafure ;  and  that  when 
arrived  to  thirty  or  forty  years  of  age, 
he  ought  to  confider,  that,  if  he  has 
been  fo  imprudent  as  to  lead,  till  that 
time,  a  diforderly  life,  it  is  now  high  time 
for  him  to  take  up  and  live  temperately  ; 
for  he  ought  to  remember,  that  though  he 
has  hitherto  been  held  up  by  the  vigour  of 

youth 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          57 

youth  and  a  good  constitution,  yet  he  is 
now  at  the  noon  of  life,  and  muft  bethink 
himfelf  of  going  down  towards  the  grave, 
with  a  heavy  weight  of  years  on  his  back, 
of  which  his  frequent  pains  and  infirmities 
are  certain  forerunners  ;  and  that  there 
fore,  if  he  has  not  been  fo  happy  as  to 
do  it  already,  he  ought  now,  immedi 
ately  to  change  his  courfe  of  life. 

I  MUST  confefs,  it  was  not  without 
great  reluftance  that  I  abandoned  my 
luxurious  way  of  living.  I  began  with 
praying  to  GOD,  that  he  would  grant  me 
the  gift  of  Temperance,  well  knowing 
that  he  always  hears  our  prayers  with  de 
light.  Then,  confidering,  that  when  a 
man  Js  about  to  undertake  any  thing  of 
importance,  he  may  greatly  ftrengthen 
himfelf  in  it,  by  often  looking  forward 
to  the  great  pleafures  and  advantages 
that  he  is  to  derive  from  it,  Juil  as  the 
hufbandman  takes  comfort  under  his 
toils,  by  reflecting  on  the  fweets  of  abun 
dance  j 


58         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

dance ;  and  as  the  good  chriftian  glad 
dens  in  the  fervice  of  GOD,  when  he 
thinks  on  the  glory  of  that  fervice,  and 
the  eternal  joys  that  await  him  ;  fo  I,  in 
like  manner,  by  ferioufiy  reflecting  on  the 
innumerable  pleafures  and  bleffings  of 
health,  andbefeeching  GOD  to  ftrengthen 
me  in  my  good  resolutions,  immediately 
entered  on  a  courfe  of  temperance  and  re 
gularity.  And  though  it  was  at  firft  highly 
difagreeable,  yet  I  can  truly  fay,  that  in 
a  very  little  time,  the  difagreeablenefs 
vanifhed,  and  I  came  to  find  great  de 
light  in  it. 

Now  on  hearing  my  arguments,  they 
all  agreed  that  I  had  faid  nothing  but 
what  was  reafonable  ;  nay,  the  youngefl 
among  them,  told  me,  that  he  was  will 
ing  to  allow  that  thefe  advantages  might 
be  common  to  all  men,  but  wTas  afraid, 
they  were  feldom  attained ;  and  that  I 
muft  be  fingularly  favoured  of  Heaven 
to  get  above  the  delights  of  an  eafy  life, 

and 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          59 

and  embrace  one  quite  contrary  to  it ; 
that  he  did  not  look  on  it  to  be  impof- 
fible,  fince  my  practice  convinced  him  of 
the  contrary,  but  however,  it  feemed  to 
him  to  be  very  difficult. 

I  REPLIED,  that  it  was  a  fhame  to  re- 
linquiih  a  good  undertaking  on  account 
of  the  difficulties  that  might  attend  it, 
and  that  the  greater  the  difficulty,  the 
more  glory  fliould  we  acquire :  that  it 
is  the  will  of  the  Creator,  that  every  one 
fhould  attain  to  a  long  life,  becaufe  in 
his  old  age,  he  might  be  freed  from  the 
bitter  fruits  that  were  produced  by  fenfe, 
and  might  enjoy  the  good  effects  of  .his 
reafon  ;  that  when  he  fhakes  hands  with 
his  vices,  he  is  no  longer  a  flave  to  the 
devil,  and  finds  himfelf  in  a  better  con 
dition  of  providing  for  the  falvation  of 
his  foul :  that  GOD,  whofe  goodnefs  is 
infinite,  has  ordained  that  the  man  who 
comes  to  the  end  of  his  race,  fliould  end 
his  life  without  any  diftemper,  and  fo 

pafs, 


60         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

pafs,  by  a  fweet  and  eafy  death,  to  a 
life  of  immortality  and  glory,  which  I 
expeft.  I  hope  (faid  I  to  him)  to  die 
finging  the  praifes  of  my  Creator.  The 
fad  reflection,  that  we  muft  one  day 
ceafe  to  live,  is  no  dlfturbance  to  me, 
though  I  eafily  preceive,  that  at  my  age, 
that  day  cannot  be  far  off;  nor  am  I 
afraid  of  the  terrors  of  hell,  becaufe, 
blefled  be  GOD,  I  have  long  ago  fhaken 
hands  with  my  fins,  and  put  my  truft 
in  the  mercy  and  merits  of  the  blood  of 
Jefus  Chrift. 

To  this  my  young  antagonifl  had  no 
thing  to  fay,  only  that  he  was  refolved 
to  lead  a  fober  life,  that  he  might  live 
and  die  as  happily  as  I  hoped  to  do ; 
and  that  though  hitherto  he  had  wifhed 
to  be  young  a  long  time,  yet  now  he 
defired  to  be  quickly  old,  that  he  might 
enjoy  the  pleafures  of  fuch  an  admir 
able  age. 

SOME 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          6l 

SOME  fenfual  perfons  give  out,  that 
I  have  troubled  myfelf  to  no  purpofe, 
in  compofmg  a  treatife  concerning  tern- 
perance,  and  that  I  have  loft  my  time  in 
endeavouring  to  perfuade  men  to   the 
practice   of   that    which    is    impoffible. 
Now    this   furprifes    me   the    more,    as 
thefe  gentlemen  muft  fee  that  I  had  led 
a  temperate   life  many  years   before    I 
compofed  this  treatife,  and  that  I  never 
fhould  have  put  myfelf  to  the  trouble  of 
compofmg  it,  had  not  long  experience 
convinced  me,   that  it  is   a  life  which 
any  man  may  eafily  lead,    who   really 
•wifhes  to  be  healthy  and  happy.     And, 
befides  the  evidence  of  my  own  experi 
ence,   I  have   the  fatisfaclion  to  hear, 
that  numbers  on  feeing  my  treatife  have 
embraced  fuch  a  life,  and  enjoyed  from 
it  the  very  fame  bleffings  which  I  enjoy. 
Hence,  I  conclude,  that  no  man  of  good 
fenfe  will  pay  any  regard  to  fo  frivolous 
an  objection.     The  truth  is,  thofe  gen- 
G  tlemen 


62          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

tlemen  who  make  this  obje&ion,  are  fo 
unhappily  wedded  to  the  poor  pleafure 
of  eating  and  drinking,  that  they  can 
not  think  of  moderating  it,  and  as  an 
excufe  for  themfelves,  they  choofe  to 
talk  at  this  extravagant  rate.  How 
ever,  I  pity  thefe  gentlemen  with  all  my 
heart,  though  they  deferve  for  their  in 
temperance,  to  be  tormented  with  a 
complication  of  diftempers,  and  to  be 
the  victims  of  their  paffions  a  whole 
eternity. 


CHAP.     IV. 

OF    THE  BIRTH  AND  DEATH  OF  MAN. 

THAT  I  may  not  be  deficient  in  that 
duty  of   charity,    which  all  men 
owe  to  one  another,  or  lofe  one  moment 
of  that  pleafure  which  confcious  ufeful- 

nefs 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          63 

nefs  affords ;  I  again  take  up  my  pen. 
What  I  am  going  to  fay  will  be  looked 
on  as  impoffible,  or  incredible  ;  but  no 
thing  is  more  certain,  nor  more  worthily 
to  be  admired  by  all  poflerity.  1  am  now 
ninety-five  years  of  age,  and  find  myfelf 
as  healthy  and  brifk,  as  if  I  were  but 
twenty-five. 

WHAT  ingratitude  fhould  I  be  guilty 
of,  did  I  not  return  thanks  to  the  divine 
Goodnefs,  for  all  his  favors  conferred  up 
on  me  ?  Moft  of  your  old  men  have  fcarce 
arrived  to  fixty,  but  they  find  themfelves 
loaded  with  infirmities :  they  are  melan 
choly,  unhealthful ;  always  full  of  the 
frightful  apprehenfions  of  dying :  they 
tremble  day  and  night  for  fear  of  being 
within  one  foot  of  their  graves  ;  and  are 
fo  ftrongly  poffeffed  with  the  dread  of  it, 
that  it  is  a  hard  matter  to  divert  them 
from  that  doleful  thought.  Blefled  be 
GOD,  I  am  free  from  their  ills  and  ter 
rors.  It  is  my  opinion,  that  I  ought 

not 


64          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

not  to  abandon  myfelf  to  that  vain  fear  : 
this  I  will  make  appear  by  the  fequel. 

SOME  there  are,  who  bring  along 
with  them  a  flrong  conftitution  into  the 
world,  and  live  to  old  age  :  but  it  is  ge 
nerally  (as  already  obferved)  an  old  age 
of  ficknefs  and  forrow ;  for  which  they 
are  to  thank  themfelves  ;  becaufe  they 
moft  imreafonably  prefume  on  the  ftrength 
of  their  conftitution  ;  and  will  not  on 
any  account,  abate  of  that  hearty  feed 
ing  which  they  indulged  in  their  young 
er  days.  Juft  as  if  they  were  to  be  as 
vigorous  at  founrcore  as  in  the  flower  of 
their  youth  ;  nay,  they  go  about  to  juf- 
tify  this  their  imprudence,  pretending 
that  as  we  lofe  our  health  and  vigor  by 
growing  old,  we  fhould  endeavour  to 
repair  the  lofs,  by  increafmg  the  quanti 
ty  of  our  food,  fmce  it  is  by  fuftenance 
that  man  is  preferved. 

BUT  in  this  they  are  dangeroufly  mif- 
.  taken ;  for  as  the  natural  heat  and 

ftrength 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          65 

ftrength  of  the  flomach  leffens  as  a  man 
grows  in  years,  he  fliould  diminifh  the 
quantity  of  his  meat  and  drink,  com 
mon  prudence  requiring  that  a  man 
fhould  proportion  his  diet  to  his  digeflive 
powers. 

THIS  is  a  certain  truth,  that  fliarp 
four  humours  on  the  flomach,  proceed 
from  a  flow  imperfect  digeflion ;  and  that 
but  little  good  chyle  can  be  made,  when 
the  flomach  is  filled  with  frefh  food  be 
fore  it  has  carried  off  the  former  meal. 
— It  cannot  therefore  be  too  frequently, 
nor  too  earneflly  recommended,  that  as 
the  natural  heat  decays  by  age,  a  man 
ought  to  abate  the  quantity  of  what  he 
eats  and  drinks ;  nature  requiring  but 
very  little  for  the  healthy  fupport  of  the 
life  of  man,  efpecially  that  of  an  old  man. 
Would  my  aged  friends  but  attend  to 
this  fingle  precept  which  has  been  fo  fig. 
nally  ferviceable  to  me,  they  would  not 
be  troubled  with  one  twentieth  of  thofe 
G  2  infirmities 


66          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

infirmities  which  now  harrafs  and  make 
their  lives  fo  miferable.  They  would  be 
light,  aftive,  and  chearful  like  me,  who 
am  now  near  my  hundredth  year.  And 
thofe  of  them  who  were  born  with  good 
conftitutions,  might  live  to  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty.  Had  I  been  bleft 
with  a  robuft  conflitution,  I  fhould  in 
all  probability,  attain  the  fame  age.  But 
as  I  was  born  with  feeble  ftamina,  I  fhall 
not  perhaps  outlive  an  hundred.  And 
this  moral  certainty  of  living  to  a  great 
age  is  to  be  fure,  a  mofl  pleafmg  and  de- 
firable  attainment,  and  it  is  the  preroga 
tive  of  none  but  the  temperate.  For  all 
thofe  who  (by  immoderate  eating  and 
drinking)  fill  their  bodies  with  grofs  hu 
mours,  can  have  no  reafonable  aflurance 
of  living  a  fingle  day  longer  :  opprefled 
with  food  and  fwoln  with  fuperfluous  hu 
mours,  they  are  in  continual  danger  of 
violent  fits  of  the  cholic,  deadly  ftrokes 
of  the  apoplexy,  fatal  attacks  of  the 

cholera 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          6j 

cholera  morbus,  burning  fevers,  and 
many  fuch  acute  and  violent  difeafes, 
whereby  thoufands  are  carried  to  their 
graves,  who  a  few  hours  before  looked 
very  hale  and  hearty.  And  this  moral 
certainty  of  long  life  is  built  on  fuch 
good  grounds  as  feldom  ever  fail.  For, 
generally  fpeaking,  Almighty  GOD  feems 
to  have  fettled  his  works  on  the  fure 
grounds  of  natural  caufes,  and  tempe 
rance  is  (by  divine  appointment)  the  na 
tural  caufe  of  health  and  long  life.  Hence 
it  is  next  to  impoffible,  that  he  who  leads 
a  ftridly  temperate  life,  fhould  breed  any 
ficknefs  or  die  of  an  unnatural  death, 
before  he  attains  to  the  years  to  which 
the  natural  ftrength  of  his  conftitution 
was  to  arrive.  I  know  fome  perfons  are 
fo  weak  as  to  excufe  their  wicked  intem 
perance,  by  faying,  that  "  the  race  is  not 
always  to  the  fwift,  nor  the  battle  to  the 
ftrong,"  and  that  therefore,  let  them 
eat  and  drink  as  they  pleafe,  they  fhall 

not 


68          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

not  die  till  their  time  comes.  How  fcan- 
daloufly  do  thefe  men  mifunderfland  So 
lomon  and  abufe  truth  !  How  would  it 
ftartle  us  to  hear  our  friends  fay,  "  that 
let  them  fleep  and  play,  as  they  pleafe, 
they  fhall  not  be  beggars  till  their  time 
comes/* 

SOLOMON  does  indeed  fay,  that  "the 
race  is  not  always  to  the  fwift,  nor  the 
battle  to  the  ftrong  ;"  but  he  muftbe  no 
better  than  a  madman,  who  thence  in 
fers,  that  it  is  not  generally  fo.  For  the 
invariable  and  eternal  experience  of  man 
kind  clemonftrates,  that  ninety-nine  times 
in  an  hundred,  the  race  is  to  the  fwift, 
and  the  battle  to  the  ftrong,  bread  to 
the  induftrious,  and  health  to  the  tempe 
rate. 

BUT  it  is  a  matter  of  fad,  and  not  to  be 
denied,  that,  though  temperance  has  the 
divine  efficacy  to  fecure  us  from  violent 
difeafe  and  unnatural  death, yet  it  is  not  to 
be  fuppofed  to  make  a  man  immortal.  It 

is 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          69 

isimpoffible  but  that  time,  which  effaces 
all  things,  fhould  likewife  deftroy  that 
mod  curious  workmanfmp  of  GOD,  the 
human  body  :  but  it  is  man's  privilege  to 
end  his  clays  by  a  natural  death,  that  is, 
without  pain  and  agony,  as  they  will  fee 
me,  when  the  heat  and  flrength  of  na 
ture  is  quite  exhaufted.  But  I  promifc 
myfelf,  that  clay  is  a  pretty  comfortable 
diftance  off  yet,  and  I  fancy  I  am  not 
miflaken,  becaufe  I  am  ftill  healthy,  and 
briik,  relifli  all  I  eat,  fleep  quietly,  and 
find  no  defeft  in  any  of  my  fenfes.  Be- 
fides,  all  the  faculties  of  my  mind  are  in 
the  highefl  perfe&ion  ;  my  underfland- 
ing  clear  and  bright  as  ever  ;  my  judg 
ment  found  ;  my  memory  tenacious  j 
my  fpirits  good  ;  and  my  voice,  the  firfl 
thing  that  fails  others,  ftill  fo  ftrong  and 
fonorous,  that  every  morning  and  even 
ing,  with  my  dear  grand-children  around 
me,  I  can  addrefs  my  prayers  and  chant 
the  praifes  of  the  Almighty.  O,  how 

glorious 


70         THE   IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

glorious  this  life  of  mine  is  like  to  be, 
replete  with  all  the  felicities  which  man 
can  enjoy  on  this  fide  of  the  grave  ;  and 
exempt  from  that  fenfual  brutality  which 
age  has  enabled  my  better  reafon  to  ba- 
nifh,  and  therewith  all  its  bitter  fruits, 
the  extravagant  paffions  and  diftrefsful 
perturbations  of  mind.  Nor  yet  can 
the  fears  of  death  find  room  in  my  mind 
as  I  have  no  licenfed  fins,  to  cherifh  fuch 
gloomy  thoughts :  neither  can  the  death 
of  relations  and  friends  give  me  any  o- 
ther  grief  than  that  of  the  firfl  move 
ment  of  nature,  which  cannot  be  avoid 
ed,  but  is  of  no  long  continuance.  Still 
lefs  am  I  liable  to  be  caft  down  by  the 
lofs  of  wordly  goods.  I  look  on  thefe 
things  as  the  property  of  heaven  ;  I  can 
thank  him  for  the  loan  of  fo  many  com 
forts,  and  when  his  wifdom  fees  fit  to 
withdraw  them,  I  can  look  on  their  de 
parture  without  murmuring. — This  is 
the  happinefs  of  thofe  only,  who  grow 

old 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         7* 

old  in  the  ways  of  temperance  and  vir 
tue  ;  a  happinefs  which  feldom  attends 
the  mod  flourifhing  youth  who  live  in 
vice.  Such  are  all  fubjedt  to  a  thoufand 
diforders,  both  of  body  and  mind,  from 
which  I  am  entirely  free  :  on  the  contra 
ry,  I  enjoy  a  thoufand  pleafures,  which 
are  as  pure  as  they  are  calm. 

THE  firft  of  thefe  is  to  do  fervice  to 
my  country.  O  !  what  a  glorious  a- 
mufement,  in  which  I  find  infinite  de 
light,  in  fhewing  my  countrymen  how 
to  fortify  this  our  dear  city  of  Venice^ 
in  fo  excellent  a  manner,  as  to  make  her 
a  famous  republic,  a  rich  and  matchlefs 
city.  Another  amufement  of  mine  is, 
that  of  fhewing  this  maid  and  queen  of 
cities,  in  what  manner  fhe  may  always 
abound  with  provifions,  by  manuring 
untilled  lands,  draining  marfhes,  and 
laying  under  water,  and  thereby  fatten 
ing  fields,  which  had  all  along  been 
barren  for  want  of  moifture.  My  third 

amufement 


72          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

amufement  is  in  fliewmg  my  native  city, 
how,  though  already  Pirong,  fne  may 
be  rendered  much  ftronger  ;  and,  tho* 
extremely  beautiful,  may  fcill  increafe 
in  beauty ;  though  rich,  may  acquire 
more  wealth,  and  may  be  made  to  en 
joy  better  air,  though  her  air  is  excel 
lent.  Thefe  three  amufements,  all  arif- 
ing  from  the  idea  of  public  utility,  I 
enjoy  in  the  higheft  degree.  Another 
very  great  comfort  I  enjoy  is,  that  hav 
ing  been  defrauded  when  young,  of  a 
confiderable  eftate,  I  have  made  ample 
amends  for  that  lofs,  by  dint  of  thought 
and  induftry,  and  without  the  leaft 
wrong  done  to  any  perfon,  have  doubled 
my  income,  fo  that  I  am  able  not  only 
to  provide  for  my  dear  grand-children, 
but  to  educate  and  affift  many  poor 
youth  to  begin  the  world.  And  I  can 
not  help  faying,  I  reflect  with  more  plea- 
fure  on  what  I  lay  out  in  that  way,  than 
in  any  other. 

ANOTHER 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          73 

ANOTHER  very  confiderable  addition 
to  my  happinefs  is,  that  what  I  have 
written  from  my  own  experience,  in  or 
der  to  recommend  temperance^  has  been 
of  great  life  to  numbers,  who  loudly 
proclaim  their  obligations  to  me  for  that 
work,  feveral  of  them  having  fent  me 
word  from  foreign  parts,  that,  under 
GOD,  they  are  indebted  to  me  for  their 
lives.  But  that  which  makes  me  look 
on  myfelf  as  one  of  the  happiefl  of  men, 
is,  that  I  enjoy  as  it  were,  two  forts  of 
lives  ;  the  one  terreftrial,  which  I  pof- 
fefs  in  fact ;  the  other  celeftial,  which  I 
poflefs  in  thought ;  and  this  thought  is 
attended  with  unutterable  delight,  being 
founded  on  fuch  glorious  objects,  which 
I  am  morally  fure  of  obtaining,  through 
the  infinite  goodnefs  and  mercy  of  GOD. 
Thus  I  enjoy  this  terreftrial  life,  partly 
through  the  beneficent  influences  of  tem 
perance  and  fobriety,  virtues  fo  pleafing 
to  heaven  ;  and  I  enjoy,  through  cordi-  l 
H  al 


74         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOfc. 

al  love  of  the  fame  divine  Majefly,  the 
celeflial  life,  by  contemplating  fo  often 
on  the  happinefs  thereof,  that  I  can 
hardly  think  of  any  thing  elfe.  And 
I  hold,  that  dying  in  the  manner  I  ex* 
peft,  is  not  really  death,  but  a  paflage 
of  the  foul  from  this  earthly  life,  to  a 
celeftial,  immortal,  and  infinitely  per- 
fe£l  exiftence.  And  I  am  fo  far  charm 
ed  with  the  glorious  elevation  to  which 
I  think  my  foul  is  defigned,  that  I  can 
no  longer  ftoop  to  thofe  trifles,  which, 
alas !  charm  and  infatuate  too  great  a 
part  of  mankind.  The  profpecl  of  part 
ing  with  my  favourite  enjoyments  of  this 
life,  gives  me  but  little  concern  ;  on  the 
contrary,  I  thank  GOD,  I  often  think 
of  it  with  fecret  joy,  fince  by  that  lofs 
I  am  to  gain  a  life  incomparably  more 
happy, 

O  !  WHO  then  would  be  troubled, 
were  he  in  my  place  ?  what  good  man, 
but  muft  inftantly  throw  off  his  load  of 

wordly 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          75 

worldly  forrow,  and  addrefs  his  grateful 
homage  to  the  Author  of  all  this  happi- 
nefs  ?  However,  there  is  not  a  man  on 
earth,  who  may  not  hope  for  the  like 
happinefs,  if  he  would  but  live  as  I  do. 
For  indeed  I  am  no  angel,  but  only  a 
man,  a  fervant  of  GOD,  to  whom  a 
good  and  temperate  life  is  fo  pleafing, 
that  even  in  this  world  he  greatly  re 
wards  thofe  who  pra&ife  it. 

AND  whereas  many  embrace  a  holy 
and  contemplative  life,  teaching  and 
preaching  the  great  truths  of  religion, 
which  is  highly  commendable,  the  chief 
employment  of  fuch  being  to  lead  men 
to  the  knowledge  and  worfliip  of  GOD* 
O  that-  they  would  likewife  betake  them- 
felves  entirely  to  a  regular  aad  temperate 
life  !  They  would  then  be  confidered 
as  faints  indeed  upon  earth,  as  thofe  pri 
mitive  chriftians  were,  who  obferved  fo 
conftant  a  temperance,  and  lived  fo  long. 
By  living  like  them,  to  the  age  of  one 

hundred 


76          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

hundred  and  twenty,  they  might  make 
fuch  a  proficiency  in  holinefs,  and  be 
come  fo  dear  to  GOD,  as  to  do  the  great- 
efl  honour  and  fervice  to  the  world  \  and 
they  would  befides,  enjoy  conftant  health 
and  fpirits,  and  be  always  happy  with 
in  themfelves  ;  whereas  they  are  now 
too  often  infirm  and  melancholy.  If  in 
deed  they  are  melancholy,  becaufe  they 
fee  GOD,  (after  all  his  goodnefs)  fo  un 
gratefully  requitted ;  or  becaufe  they 
fee  men  (notwithstanding  their  in 
numerable  obligations  to  love)  yet  hat- 
,  ing  and  grieving  each  other  :  fuch  me 
lancholy  is  truly  amiable  and  divine. 

BUT  to  be  melancholy  on  any  other 
account,  is,  to  fpeak  the  truth,  quite 
unnatural  to  good  chriftians  ;  fuch  per- 
fons  being  the  fervants  of  GOD  and  heirs 
of  immortality ;  and  it  is  flill  more  un 
becoming  the  minifters  of  religion,  who 
ought  to  confider  themfelves,  as  of  all 

others. 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         JJ 

others,  in  the  moft   important,  fervice- 
able,  and  delightful  employment. 

I  KNOW,  many  of  thefe  gentlemen 
think  that  GOD  does  purpofely  bring 
thefe  occafions  of  melancholy  on  them 
that  they  may  in  this  life  do  penance  for 
their  former  fins  ;  but  therein,  as  I 
think,  they  are  much  miftaken.  I  can 
not  conceive,  how  GOD,  who  loves 
mankind,  can  be  delighted  with  their 
fufferings.  He  defires  that  mankind 
fhould  be  happy,  both  in  this  world  and 
the  next ;  he  tells  us  fo  in  a  thoufand 
places  in  his  word,  and  we  actually  find 
that  there  is  not  a  man  on  earth,  who 
does  not  feel  the  good  Spirit  of  GOD, 
forbidding  and  condemning  thofe  wick 
ed  courfes,  which  would  rob  him  of 
that  happinefs.  No  ;  it  is  the  devil  and 
fin  which  bring  all  the  evils  we  fuffer,  on 
our  heads,  and  not  GOD,  who  is  our 
Creator  and  Father,  and  defires  our  hap 
pinefs  :  his  commands  tend  to  no  other 
H  3  purpofe. 


78         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

purpofe.  And  temperance  would  not  be 
a  virtue,  if  the  benefit  it  does  us  by 
preferving  us  from  diflempers,  were  re 
pugnant  to  the  defigns  of  GOD  in  our 
old  age. 

IN  fhort,  if  all  religious  people  were 
ftriftly  temperate  and  holy,  how  beauti 
ful,  how  glorious  a  fcene  (hould  we 
then  behold  !  Such  numbers  of  vener 
able  old  men  as  would  create  furprife. 
How  many  wife  andr  holy  teachers  to 
edify  the  people  by  their  wholefome 
preaching  and  good  examples  !  How 
many  finners  might  receive  benefit  by 
their  fervent  interceffions !  How  many 
bleffings  might  they  fhower  upon  the 
earth  !  and  not  as  now,  eating  and 
drinking  fo  in  temperately,  as  to  inflame 
the  blood  and  excite  worldly  paffions, 
pride,  ambition,  and  concupifcence, 
foiling  the  purity  of  their  minds,  check 
ing  their  growth  in  holinefs,  and  in 
fome  unguarded  moment,  betraying 

them 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         79 

them  into  fins  difgraceful  to  religion, 
and  ruinous  to  their  peace  for  life.- — 
Would  they  but  feed  temperately,  and 
that  chiefly  on  vegetable  food,  they 
would  as  I  do,  foon  find  it  the  moft 
agreeable,  (by  the  cool  temperate  hu 
mours  it  affords)  the  bed  friend  to  vir 
tuous  improvement,  begetting  gentle 
manners,  mild  afteftions,  purity  of 
thought,  heavenly  rnindednefs,  quick 
relifh  of  virtue,  and  delight  in  GOD. 
This  was  the  life  led  by  the  holy  fathers 
of  old,  who  fubfifted  entirely  on  vege 
tables,  drinking  nothing  but  pure  water, 
and  yet  lived  to  an  extreme  old  age,  in 
good  health  and  fpirits,  and  always 
happy  within  themfelves.  And  fo  may 
all  in  our  days  live,  provided  they 
would  but  mortify  the  lufts  of  a  corrup 
tible  body,  and  devote  themfelves  en 
tirely  to  the  exalted  fervice  of  GOD  ; 
for  this  is  indeed  the  privilege  of  every 
faithful  chriftian  as  Jefus  Chrift  left  it, 

when 


8o         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

when  he  came  down  upon  earth  to  flied 
his  precious  blood,  in  order  to  deliver 
us  from  the  tyrannical  fervitude  of  the 
devil  ;  and  all  through  his  immenfe 
goodnefs. 

To  conclude,  fmce  length  of  days 
abounds  with  fo  many  bleffings,  and  I 
am  fo  happy  as  to  have  arrived  at  that 
ftate,  I  find  myfelf  bound  (in  charity)  to 
give  teftimony  in  favour  of  it,  and  fo- 
lemnly  affure  all  mankind,  that  I  really 
enjoy  a  great  deal  more  than  what  I 
now  mention  ;  and  that  I  have  no  other 
motive  in  writing  on  this  fubjeft,  than 
to  engage  them  to  praftife,  all  their 
lives,  thofe  excellent  virtues  of  tempe 
rance  and  fobriety,  which  will  bring 
them,  like  me,  to  a  happy  old  age.  And 
therefore  I  never  ceafe  to  raife  my  voice, 
crying  out  to  you,  my  friends,  may 
your  days  be  many,  that  you  may  long 
ferve  GOD,  and  be  fitter  for  the  glo 
ry  which  he  prepares  for  his  children  ! 

APPEN- 


APPENDIX. 


GOLDEN     RULES 


HEALTH, 

SELECTED    FROM  HlPPOCRATES, 
TARCH,  AND    SEVERAL    OTHER 
EMINENT  PHYSICIANS  AND 
PHILOSOPHERS. 

OF  all  the  people  on  the  face  of  the 
earth,  the  Americans  are  under 
the  greatefl  obligations  to  live  temperat- 
ly.  Formed  for  commerce,  our  coun 
try  abounds  with  bays,  rivers  and  creeks, 
the  exhalations  from  which,  give  the  air 
a  dampnefs  unfriendly  to  the  fprings  of 
life.  To  counteract  this  infelicity  of  cli 

mate, 


8:2         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

mate,  reafon  teaches  us  to  adopt  every 
meafure  that  may  give  tone  and  vigor  to 
the  conftitution.  This  precaution,  at 
all  times  neceflkry,  is  peculiarly  fo  in  au 
tumn,  for  then  the  body  is  relaxed  by 
the  intenfe  heat  of  the  dog-days,  the  air 
is  filled  with  noxious  vapours  from  pu 
trid  vegetables  ;  Nature  herfelf  wears  a 
fickly,  drooping  afpecc  ;  the  moft  ro* 
buft  feel  a  difagreeable  wearinefs  and 
forenefs  of  their  flefh,  a  heavinefs  and 
fluggifhnefs  in  motion,  quick  feverifh 
flufhings,  and  fudden  chills  darting 
along  their  nerves,  (all  plain  proofs  of  a 
fickly  atmofphere,  and  tottering  health). 
Now,  if  ever,  we  need  the  aid  of  all- 
invigorating  temperance,  now  keep  the 
ftoniach  light  and  vigorous  by  moderate 
feeding,  the  veins  well  flored  with  heal 
thy  blood,  and  the  nerves  full  braced  by 
manly  exercife  and  comely  chearfulnefs. 
Be  choice  of  your  diet,  fruit  perfectly 
ripe,  vegetables  thoroughly  done,  and 

meats 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         83 

meats  of. the  eafieft  digeftion,  with  aglafs 
or  two  of  generous  wine  at  each  meal, 
and  all  taken  in  fuch  prudent  modera 
tion,  as  not  to  load  but  ftrengthen  the 
conftitution.  For  at  this  critical  junc 
ture,  a  fmgle  aft  of  intemperance,  which 
would  fcarcely  be  felt  in  the  wholefome 
frofts  of  winter,  often  turns  the  fcalc  a- 
gainfl  nature,  and  brings  on  obftinatc 
indigeftion,  load  at  ftomach,  lofs  of  a- 
petite,  a  furred  tongue,  yellownefs  of 
eyes,  bitter  tafte  in  the  mouth  in  the 
morning,  bilious  vomitings,  agues,  fe 
vers,  &c.  which  in  fpite  of  the  beft  me 
dicines,  often  wear  a  man  away  to  a 
ghoib  If  bleffed  with  a  good  conftituti 
on,  he  may  perhaps  crawl  on  to  winter^ 
and  get  braced  up  again  by  her  friendly 
frofts ;  but  if  old  or  infirm,  it  is  likely 
death  will  overtake  him,  before  he  can 
reach  that  city  of  refuge. 

"  THE  giddy  practice  of  throwing  a- 
fide  our  winter  clothes  too  early  in  the 

fpring, 


84         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

fpring,  and  that  of  expofing  our  bodies, 
when  overheated,  to  fudden  cold,  has 
deftroyed  more,  people,  than  famine, 
peftilence  and  fword."*—Sydenham. 

THOSE  who,  by  any  accident,  have 
loft  a  meal,  (fuppofe  their  dinner)  ought 
not  to  eat  a  plentiful  fupper  ;  for  it  will 
lie  heavy  on  their  ftomach,  and  they 
will  have  a  more  reftlefs  night  than  if 
they  had  both  dined  and  fupped  heartily. 
He  therefore,  who  has  miffed  his  dinner, 

fnould 

*  I  SAW  (fays  an  American  officer)  thirteen  gre 
nadiers  lying  dead  by  a  fpring,  in  confequence  of 
drinking  too  freely  of  the  cold  water,  while  dripping 
with  fweat  in  a  hard  day's  march,  in  fummer.  And 
many  a  charming  girl,  worthy  of  a  tenderer  hufoand, 
has  funk  into  the  icy  embraces  of  death,  by  fuddenly 
expofing  her  delicate  frame,  warm  from  the  ball 
room,  to  the  cold  air.  And  fmce  "  the  univerfal 
caufe  acts  not  by  partial,  but  by  general  law?/'  many 
a  good  foul,  with  more  piety  thyri  prudence,  turning 
out  quite  warm  from  a  crowded  preaching  into  the 
cold  air  without  cloak  or  furtout,  has  gone  off  in  a 
galloping  confumption  to  that  happy  world,  where 
pain  and  ficknefs  are  unknowu.  What  a  melan 
choly  thing  it  is,  that  people  cannot  take  care  of 
their  fouls,  without  neglecting  their .  bodies,  nor 
feek  their  falvation  without  ruining  their  health ! 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          85 

Iliould  make  a  light  fupper  of  fpoon  vic 
tuals,  rather  than  of  any  ftrong  foliJ 
food."  Hippocrates, 

HE  who  has  taken  a  larger  quantity  of 
food  than  ufual,  and  feels  it  heavy  and 
troublefome  on  his  ftomach?  will,  if  he  is 
a  wife  man,  go  out  and  puke  it  up  im 
mediately*.  Hippocrates. 

AND  here  I  cannot  omit  mentioning  a 
a  very  ruinous  error  into  which  too 
many  are  fond  of  running,  I  mean,  the 
frequent  ufe  of  ftrong  vomits  and  purga 
tives.  A  man  every  now  and  then  feeds 
too  freely  on  fome  favourite  difli ; 
fuch  excefs  the  ftomach  is  weakened,  the 
I  body 

*  The  wife  fen  of  Sirach  confirms  this  precept, 
and  fays,  Ecclef.  xxxi.  21.  "  If  thou  haft  been 
forced  to  eat,  arife,  go  forth  and  puke,  and  thou 
(halt  have  reft."  And  moft  certain  it  is,  (adds  an 
ingenious  phyfician)  that  hundreds  and  thoufands 
have  brought  ficknefs  and  death  on  themfelves,  by 
their  ignorance  or  neglect  of  this  rule.  But  at  the 
fame  time  people  fhould  carefully  avoid  a  repetition 
of  that  excefs,  which  renders  fuch  an  evacuation  i-.e- 
cefTary,  for  frequent  vomitings  do  greatly  tend  to 
weaken  and  deftroy  the  tone  of  the  ftoxnacbn 


86         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

body  filled  with  fuperfluous  humours, 
and  he  prefently  finds  himfelf  much  out 
of  forts.     The  only  medicine  in  this  cafe, 
is  moderate    exercife,    innocent  amufe- 
rnent,  and  a  little  abftinence,  this  is  na 
ture's  own  prefcription,  as  appears  by  her 
taking  away  his  appetite.     But  having 
long  placed  his  happinefs  in  eating  and 
drinking,  he  cannot  think  of  relinquifh- 
ing  a  gratification  fo  dear  to  him,  and  fo 
lets  himfelf  to  force  an  appetite  by  drams, 
flings,  elixir  of  vitriol,  wine  and  bitters, 
pickles,  fauces,  &c.  and  on  the  credit  of 
this  artificial  appetite,  feeds  again  as  if 
he  poifeffed  the   mofl  vigorous   health. 
He  now  finds  himfef  entirely  difordered, 
general  heavinefs  and  wearinefs  of  body, 
flatulent  uneafinefs,  frequent  eruftations, 
lofs    of    appetite,     difturbed    flumbers, 
frightful    dreams,     bitter    tafte   in   the 
mouth,  &c.     He  now  complains  of  a  foul 
ftomach,  or  (in  his  own  words)  that  his 
ftomach  is  full  of  bile ;  and  immediately 

takes 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          87 

takes  a  dofe  of  tartar  emetic  or  a  ftro-ng 
purgative,  to  cleanfe  out  his  ftomach, 
and  fo  prepare  for  another  courfe  of  high 
living.  Of  all  the  Apollyons  or  deftroy- 
ers  of  nerves,  health  and  life,  this  is  the 
greateft  \  and  I  have  no  fort  of  doubt  on 
piy  own  mind  but  it  has  broken  down 
more  conftitutions,  brought  on  more 
diftempers,  and  fent  more  people  to  an 
early  grave,  than  all  the  vices  of  this 
bedlam  world  put  together.  How  much 
wifer  would  it  be  in  this  cafe  to  follow  the 
advice  of  the  celebrated  Bcerhaave,  i. 
e.  to  ufe  a  little  abftinence,  take  mode 
rate  €xercife,  and  thereby  help  nature  to 
carry  off  her  crudities  and  recover  her 
fprings.  I  have  been  often  told  by  a  lady 
of  quality,  whofe  circumftances  obliged 
her  to  be  a  good  ceconomift,  and  whofe 
prudence  and  temperance  preferved  her 
health  and  fenfes  unimpaired  to  a  great 
age,  that  fhe  had  kept  herfelf  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  phyficians  many  years  by 


88          THU    IMMORTAL    MJENTOR. 

this  fimple  reigmen.  People  in  health 
ihould  never  force  themfelves  to  eat  when 
they  have  no  appetite  j  Nature,  the  beft 
judge  in  thefe  matters,  will  never  fail  to 
let-  us  know  the  proper  time  of  refreih- 
ment.  To  a£t  contrary  to  this  rule,  will 
affuredly  weaken  the  powers  of  digeftion, 
impair  health  and  fliorten  life.  Plutarch. 

"  LET  us  beware  of  fuch  food  as 
tempts  us  to  eat  when  we  are  not  hun 
gry,  and  of  fuch  liquors  as  entice  us  to 
drink  when  we  are  not  thirfty."  So- 
crates. 

IT  is  really  furprifmg  (fays  Plutarch) 
what  benefit  men  of  letters  would  re 
ceive  from  reading  aloud  every  day  ;  we 
ought  therefore  to  make  that  exercife 
familiar  to  us5  but  it  Ihould  not  be  done 
immediately  after  dinner,  nor  fatigue, 
for  that  error  -has  proved  hurtful  to 
many.  But  though  loud  reading  is  a 
very  healthy  exercife,  violent  vocifera- 
lion  is  highly  dangerous ;  it  has  in  thou- 

fands 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          8$ 

fands  of  inflances  burft  the  tender  blood 
jvefiels  of  the  lungs,  and  brought  on  in 
curable  confumptions*. 

46  THE  world  has  long  made  a  jufb 
diftinftion  betwixt  men  of  learning,  and 
wife  men.  Men  of  learning  are  oft- 
times  the  weakeft  of  men  :  they  read 
and  meditate  inceffantly,  without  -al 
lowing  proper  relaxation  or  refreshment 
to  the  body  ;  and  think  that  a  frail  .ma 
chine  can  bear  fatigue  as  well  as  an  im- 
i  2  mortal 

*  Would  to  God,  all  minifters  of  religion  (I 
mention  them  becaufe  they  arc  generally  moft  want* 
ing  in  this  great  article  of  prudence)  would  but  at 
tend  to  the  advice  of  this  eminent  Philofopher. 
They  would,  many  of  them,  liv<*  much  longer,  -and 
eonfequently  (land  a  good  chance  to  be  more  ufeful 
men  here  on  earth,  and  brighter  faints  in  heaven . 
What  can  give  greater  pain  to  a  man  who  has  the 
profperity  of  religion  at  heart,  than  to  fee  an  amiable^ 
pious  young  divine,  ( who  promifed  great  fervices  to 
the  world)  fpitting  up  his  lungs,  and  dying  of  a 
consumption  brought  on  by  preaching  ten  times  lou 
der  than  he  had  need  !  Since  the  world  began,  "no 
man  ever  fpoke  with  halffot  energy  which  the  inte- 
reds  of  eternal  fouls  deferve,  but  there  is  a  wide 
difference  betwixt  an  mjlruffi-ve,  moving,  milling  e/o- 
qucnce,  and  a  loud,  unmeaning  monotony* 


9O         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

mortal  fpirit.  This  puts  me  in  mind  of 
what  happened  to  the  camel  in  the  fa 
ble  ;  which,  refufing  though  often  pre- 
moniihed,  to  eafe  the  ox  in  due  time  of 
a  part  of  his  load,  was  forced  at  laft  to 
carry  not  only  the  ox's  whole  load,  but 
the  ox  himfelf  alfo,  when  he  died  under 
his  burden.  Thus  it  happens  to  the 
mind  which  has  no  compaffion  on  the 
body,  and  will  not  liften  to  its  com 
plaints,  nor  give  it  any  reft,  until  fome 
fad  diftemper  compels  the  mind  to  lay 
ftudy  and  contemplation  afide ;  and  to 
Jie  down,  with  the  afflifted  body,  upon 
the  bed  of  languifhing  and  pain.  Moft 
wifely,  therefore,  does  Plato  admonifh 
us  to  take  the  fame  care  of  our  bodies 
as  of  our  minds  ;  that  like  a  well 
matched  pair  of  horfes  to  a  chariot,  each 
may  draw  his  equal  fhare  of  weight. 
And  when  the  mind  is  moft  intent  upon 
virtue  and  ufefulnefs,  the  body  fhould 
then  be  moft  cherifhed  by  prudence 

and 


THE    IMMORTAL    MHNTOR.         9* 

and  temperence,  that  fo  it  may  be  fully 
equal  to  fuch  arduous  and  noble  pur- 
fuits." — Plutarch. 

NOTHING  is  more  injurous  to  health 
than  hard  ftudy  at  night ;  it  is  invert 
ing  the  order  of  nature,  and  ruining 
the  conftitution. 

BUT  moft  of  all,  it  is  improper  to  lie 
reading  in  bed  by  candle  light ;  for  it 
not  only  partakes  of  the  ufual  inconve 
niences  of  night  ftudy,  fuch  as  {training 
the  eyes,  weakening  the  fight,  fatiguing 
the  mind,  and  wearing  away  the  confti 
tution,  but  is  oft-times  the  caufe  of  the 
faddeA  calamities  ;  thoufands  of  elegant 
houfes,  with  all  their  coftly  furniture, 
have  been  reduced  to  afhes  by  this  very 
imprudent  practice. 

BUT  how  can  giddy  youth,  hurried 
on  by  ftrong  paffions  and  appetites,  be 
prevented  from  running  into  thofe  ex- 
cefles,  which  may  cut  them  off  in  the 
prime  of  their  days,  or  at  leaft  hoard  up 

difeafes 


92          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

difeafes  and  remorfe  for  old  age  ? 
Why,  their  pafnons  and  appetites  muft 
early  be  reflrained  by  proper  difcipline 
and  example.  This  important  office 
muft  be  done  by  their  parents,  whofe 
firft  and  greateft  care  fliould  be  "  to 
train  up  their  children  in  the  way  they 
fiiould  go,  that  when  they  are  old  they 
may  not  depart  from  it." 

ic  O  THAT  parents  (fays  the  excellent 
Mr.  Locke)  would  carefully  inftil  into 
their  children  that  great  principle  of  all 
virtue  and  worth,  viz.  nobly  to  deny 
themfelves  every  wrong  defire,  and 
fteadily  follow  what  reafon  dictates  as 
beft,  though  the  appetite  fliould  lean  the 
Other  way.  We  often  fee  parents  by 
humouring  them  when  little,  corrupt 
the  principles  of  virtue  in  their  children  ; 
and  wonder  afterwards  to  tafte  the  bit 
ter  waters  of  their  undutifulnefs  or 
wickednefs,  when  they  themfelves  have 
contributed  thereto.  Why  fliould  we 

wonder 


•THli    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          93 

wonder  that  he  who  has  been  accuftomed 
to  have  his  will  in  every  thing,  when  he 
was  in  coatsP  fhould  defire  and  contend 
for  it  when  he  is  in  breeches  ?  Youth  is 
the  golden  feafon  to  inure  the  mind  to  the 
practice  of  virtue,  on  which  their  future 
health  and  refpe  lability  depend,  and 
without  which  it  will  be  impofiible  to  de 
liver  their  confutations,  unbroken,  to 
manhood  and  old  age.  Vice  is  utterly 
inconfiftent  with  health,  which  can  never 
dwell  with  lewdnefs,  luxury,  floth  and 
violent  paffions.  The  life  of  the  epicure 
and  rake,  is  not  only  fhort,  but  rniferable. 
It  would  fhock  the  modeft  and  compaffio- 
nate,  to  hear  of  thofe  exquifite  pains, 
and  dreadful  agonies,  which  profligate 
young  perfons  fuffer  from  their  debau 
cheries,  before  they  can  even  reach  the 
friendly  fhelter  of  an  untimely  grave. 
Or  if  fome  few  ftop  fhort  in  their  career 
of  riot,  before  they  have  quite  deftroyed 
the  fprings  of  life,  yet  thofe  fprings  are 

generally 


94         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

generally  rendered  fo  feeble  and  crazy, 
by  the  liberties  which  they  have  already 
taken,  that  they  only  fupport  a  gloomy, 
difpirited,  dying  life,  tedious  to  them- 
felves,  and  troublefome  to  all  around 
them  ;  and  (which  is  ilill  more  pitiable) 
often  tranfmit  their  complaints  to  an 
innocent  unhappy  offspring," 


PART    II. 

I1   H   E 

WAY 

T  O 

WEALTH, 

B   Y 

DOCTOR  FRANKLIN. 


INTRODUCTION. 


•"  But  for  one  end,  one  much  neglc&ed  ufe,  are  richc* 

"  worth  your  care  : 
<c  This  noble  end  is — to  fiiew  the  virtues  in  their  fair- 

"  eft  light ; 
**  To  make  humanity  the  minifler  of  bounteous  Prtvi- 

"  dcncc, 
"  And  ttaih  the  Ireajl  the  generous  luxury  of  citing  good." 

Dr.  ARMSTRONG. 


/HERE  is  fcarcely  among  the  evils  of 
life,  any  fo  generally  dreaded  as  poverty. 
Many  other  kinds  of  mifery  a  man  may 
eafily  forget l,  becaufe  they  do  not  always 
force  the?nfehes  upon  his  regards.  But  it 
/>  impojjlble  to  pafs  a  day  or  an  hour,  in  the 
company  of  men  without  feeing  hvw  much 
poverty  is  expofed  to  neglefl  and  infult ; 
and  In  its  lowefl  Jiate^  to  hunger  and 
K  nakednefs ; 


98  INTRODUCTION. 

nakednefs ;  to  injuries ,  again/I  which, 
every  pajfion  is  in  arms  ;  and  to  wants, 
"which  nature,  without  the  aids  of  religi 
on^  cannot  fujtain. 

OF  thefe  calamities,  mankind  in  general 
feem  to  be  fenfible.  We  hear  on  every  fide 
the  noife  of  trade ;  and  fee  the  ftreets 
thronged  with  number lefs  multitudes,  whofe 
faces  are  clouded  with  anxiety,  and  whofe 
Jieps  are  hurried  by  precipitation,  from  no 
other  motive  than  the  hope  of  gain.  The 
'whole  world  is  put  in  motion  by  the  defire 
of  that  wealth,  which  is  chiefly  to  be  va 
lued  as  it  fecures  us  from  poverty  and  its 
miferies.  But  there  are  always  fome 
whofe  pajjlons  or  follies  lead  them  to  a  con- 
du£l  widely  different  from  the  general  prac 
tice  of  mankind.  I  mean  the  thoughtlefs 
and  the  negligent,  who,  from  an  excefs  of 
careleffnefs,  or  the  feduElions  of  company, 
indulge  habits  of  pie  a  fare  and  ex  pence 
above  their  fortunes ;  and  thus  mijpend 
their  time,  or  wajle  the  inheritance  of 

their 


INTRODUCTION.  99 

their  fathers ,  without  ever  fesming  to  re- 
fleft  on  the  great  facrifice  they  are  making, 
or  the  gulph   to  which  they  approach,  till 
poverty,  like  an  unexpected  winter,  comes 
upon  them  with  all  its  chilling  calamities, 
and  aivakens  them  to  a  pungent  fenfe  of 
their  folly  and  wreichednefs.     The  young, 
and  thofe  of  the  mofl  generous  and  unfuf- 
petting  tempers,   often  fall  into  this    evil 
net,  out  of  which  they  feldom  efcape  with 
out  fitffering  injuries,  which  they  painfully 
feel  and  ferioujty  lament  through  life.     No 
man  had  a  heart  more  difpofed  to  pity,  nor 
a  head  more  able  to  counfel  thefe  unfortu 
nates,  than  the  fageQr.  FRANKLIN,  the 
friend  of  man,    and  the   great   economift 
of  AMERICA.     His  little  work,  entitled, 
"   THE  WAY   TO  WEALTH,"    is   uni- 
verfally  confidered  as  a    majier -piece,    on 
the  art  of  making  and  preferring  a  for- 
tune.     But  before  we  give  the  Reader  a 
fight  of  this,  we  will  exhibit  to  his  view 
fome  of  the  many  felicities  of  wealth,  that 

on 


lOO  INTRODUCTION. 

on  feeing  how  much  happinefs  he  may  de 
rive  from  it  to  himfelf^  and  how  many  fer- 
'vices  he  may  therewith  confer  on  others^ 
he  may  apply  with  vigor  and  perfeverance 
to  the  means  conducive  to  fo  dejireable  an 
end. 

IN  the  firft  place — WEALTH    always 
commands  refpefl,  unlefs  its  owner  be  an 
infamous  wretch  indeed  ;  and  even  in  that 
deplorable  cafe?  it  has  the  magic  powers  of 
charity ^  to  cover  and  hide  a  multitude  of 
fins.     It  gives  a  man  an  air  of  confequence? 
and  like  true  beauty r,  without  any  exertion 
of  its  own?  wins  the  favour  of  all  behold 
ers.     When  the  rich  man  goes  into  compa 
ny  ^  every  body  rife  up  to  falute  him :  no 
features  too  hard  to  aflame  a  fmile ;    no 
back  fo  ftiff  but  can  afford  him  a  bow. 
He  is  placed  in  the  upper  moji  feat  at  the 
table?  and  men  covet  to  direct  their  con- 
verfation  to  him.     The  poor  man  fpeak- 
eth,  but   no  one  regardeth  :    the  rich 

openeth 


INTRODUCTION.  IOI 

openeth  his  mouth,  and  lo  !  filence  is 
kept. 

WHAT:  can  be  more  plea/ing  to  a  man 
than  to  fee  himfelf  thus  honoured  by  his 
friends  ?  But  befides  this  fatisfaftion^ 
which  to  the  good,  is  very  exquifite ;  it 
has  a  very  happy  moral  effeft  on  the  mind. 
In  a  mind  poffeffed  of  common  fenftbility,  it 
muft  kindle  thefoft  jire  of  good  humour ',  and 
good  humour  naturally  infpires  benevolence 
and  affeftion.  Whence  ive  infer^  that  a 
rich  man^  who  is  prudent ';  Jiands  a  much 
fairer  chance  to  be  good  humoured  than  the 
poor,  whofe  poverty  expofes  them  to  fuch 
frequent  j lights  and  negleds. 

IN  the  fecond  place — WEALTH  places 

a  man  in  ajiaie  which  all  mufi  covet ;  a 

Jlaie   of   INDEPENDENCE.       To    ov/e  no 

man  any  thing  ;  to  be  able  io.  go  wither- 

focver  ive  pleafe  ;  and  to  face  any ^cc?jipany 

without  dread  cf  'dunning^  is  a  luxury  too 

divine^  even  to  be  conceived  by  a  >y  who 

have  net  been  haunted  and  hag  ride ^i-   by 

K  2  creditors. 


102          INTRODUCTION. 

creditors.  Say,  ye  debtors,  ye  pooreji  of 
mankind,  fay,  ye  who  cannot  look  at  a 
creditor  without  confujion,  nor  hear  the 
name  of  juflice  without  a  pang;  who 
Jiartle  at  the  found  of  a  fliaken  leaf,  as 
though  the  feet  of  the  Jheriff  were  at  the 
door,  and  fly  as  the  murderer  flies  from 
the  avenger  of  blood,  whofe  forrowful  days 
are  wafted  in  meditating  fruitlefs  plans  of 
payment,  while  your  midnight  Jlumbers  are 
frightened  by  dreams  of  bankruptcy,  and 
apparitions  ofmercilefs  creditors,  fales,  and 
houfelefs  children  :  fay,  wherein  is  the  life 
of  a  debtor  better  than  the  life  of  a  dog. 
Are  not  the  profpefls  of  independence  as 
reviving  to  your  hearts,  as  the  profpeds  of 
paradife  to  fouls  that  have  long  pined  in 
purgatory  ? 

BUT,  on  the  other  hand,  never  to  go  in 
debt ;  or,  if  accident  Jhould  render  a  trifl 
ing  debt  necejfary  ;  to  have  at  home  more 
than  enough  to  defray  it ;  to  receive  a  cre 
ditor  with  a  fouling  countenance  ;  to  de 
light 


INTRODUCTION.  103 

light  his  eyes  with  the  promifed  gold,  and 
to  difmifs  him  charmed  'with  our  punftu- 
ality  and  honour :  Muft  not  this^  to  a  good 
man,  afford  a  feries  of  fatisfaflions,  too 
complicated  for  detail,  and  too  exquifite  for 
defcription  ? 

IN  the  third  place — WEALTH  enables 
us  to  enjoy  the  pur  eft  and  fublimeji  pleafures 
that  are  to  be  found  on  earth— the  plea 
fures  of  doing  good. 

To  a  tender  parent,  the  interefts  of  his 
children  are  dear,  as  the  blood  which  feeds 
the  fountain  of  life.  When  he  looks  at 
them,  his  bowels  are  moved  within  him, 
becaufe  he  remembers  the  evils  which  await 
them  ;  He  confiders  that  ignorance  leaves 
them  an  eafy  prey  to  the  crafty  and  cruel  ; 
and  that  want  betrays  them  to  difhoncfty 
and  falfehood.  Happy  the  parent  who  pof- 
fejfes  wealth  ;  he  places  before  his  children 
the  lamp  of  knowledge,  and  they  perceive 
the  fnares  of  the  artful ;  he  furrounds , 
them  with  the  blejfings  of  competence.,  and 

they 


104         INTRODUCTION. 

they  defpife  the  gains  of  Iniquity.  He  has 
flfters  and  brother S)  perhaps )  poor  in  world 
ly  goods i  but  whom  he  loves  as  his  own 
foul ;  and  young  relatives 5  whofe  little 
flrong  embraces,  kindle  all  the  parent 
within  him.  Is  there  on  earth  a  happi- 
nefs  equal  to  that  which  he  feels  in  fupply- 
ing  their  wants ;  giving  them  education, 
and  thus  leading  them^  as  by  the  hand^  to 
ufefulnefs  and  honour  ? 

To  welcome  the  weeping  widow ;  to 
provide  for  her  a  place  of  reft  ;  to  dry  up 
her  tears  ;  to  feed  and  educate  her  little 
orphans ,  and  to  put  them  in  a  way  to  gain 
an  honeft  livelihood. 

To  take  by  the  hand  poor  young  tradef- 
men  ;  to  lend  them  money  ;  to  fet  them  up^ 
and  thus  to  enable  them  to  be  very  ufcful 
to  the  community^  and  to  make  comfort 
able  livings  for  thcmf elves. 

To  build  in  the  neighbourhoods  of  the 
poor,  places  of  public  worfoip^  where  the 

people 


INTRODUCTION.  105 

people  may  learn   the  knowledge  of  Goz>3 
and  the  happinefs  of  a  good  life. 

To  ajftft  in  providing  houfes  where  the 

Jick  and  aged  poor,  who  are  not   able   to 

work  for  themfdveS)  may  be  taken  in,  and 

have  medicines  and  phyficiam  to  cure  their 

ficknejfeS)  and  food  and  cloathing  to  make 

the  remainder  of  their  days  happy. 

To  feel  for  a  tenant's  misfortunes^  and  to 
abate  fomething  of  his  rent  in  a  bad  feafon. 

To  Jilence  the  excufes  of  a  poor  debtor 
with  a  "  well,  well ;  don't  be  uneafy 
on  account  of  this  trifle ;  I  know  you 
are  an  honeft  man,  and  I  am  willing  to 
wait  till  you  can  make  it  convenient  to 
pay  me." 

THESE  arefome  of  the  numberlefs  luxuries 
of  beneficence  which  wealth  enables  a  good 
man  to  enjoy.  If  you  would  enjoy  them? 
liften  to  the  injirudions  of  Dr.  FRANKLIN, 
and  let  the  words  of  his  mouth  fink  deep 
into  your  heart.  Defpife  them  not  for  their 
fimplicity  ;  for  fimple  and  unlearned  is  the 
multitude  to  which  they  are  addrcffcd. 


THE 


WAY  TO   WEALTH. 


COURTEOUS   READER, 

I  HAVE  heard,  that  nothing  gives  an 
author  fo  great  pleafure,  as  to  find 
his  works  refpe&fully  quoted  by  others. 
Judge,  then,  how  much  I  mufl  have 
been  gratified  by  an  incident  I  am  go 
ing  to  relate  to  you.  I  flopped  my 
horfe,  lately,  where  a  great  number  of 
people  were  collected  at  an  auftion  of 
merchant's  goods.  The  hour  of  the  fale 
not  being  come,  they  were  converfing 
on  the  badnefs  of  the  times ;  and  one 
of  the  company  called  to  a  plain,  clean 

old 


108       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

old  man5  with  white  locks,  "  Pray, 
father,  Abraham,  what  think  you  of 
the  times  ?  Will  not  thefe  heavy  taxes 
quite  ruin  the  country?  How  fhall  we 
be  ever  able  to  pay  them  ?  What  would 
you  advife  us  to  ?" — Father  Abraham, 
flood  up,  and  replied,  "  If  you  would 
have  my  advice,  I  will  give  it  you  in 
fhort ;  "  for  a  word  to  the  wife  is  e- 
nough,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays."  They 
joined  in  defiring  him  to  fpeak  his  mind, 
and  gathering  round  him,  he  proceeded 
as  follows : 

"  FRIENDS,  fays  he,  the  taxes  are, 
indeed,  very  heavy ;  and,  if  thofe  laid 
on  by  the  government,  were  the  only 
ones  we  had  to  pay,  we  might  more 
eafily  difcharge  them ;  but  we  have 
many  others,  and  much  more  grievous 
to  fome  of  us.  We  are  taxed  twice  as 
much  by  our  idlenefs,  three  times  as 
much  by  our  pride,  and  four  times  as 
much  by  our  folly  ;  and  from  thefc 

taxes 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

taxes  the  commiffioners  cannot  eafe  or 
deliver  us,  by  allowing  an  abatement. 
However,  let  us  hearken  to  good  ad 
vice,  and  fomething  may  be  done  for 
us ;  God  helps  them  that  help  them- 
felves,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays. 

I.  "  IT  would  be  thought  a  hard  go 
vernment  that  fliould  tax  its  people  one- 
tenth  part  of  their  time,  to  be  employ 
ed  in  its  fervice :  but  idlenefs  taxes 
many  of  us  much  more ;  floth,  by 
bringing  on  difeafes,  abfolutely  fliortens 
life.  "  Sloth,  like  ruft,  confumes  faf- 
ter  than  labour  wears,  while  the  ufed 
key  is  always  bright,"  as  Poor  Richard 
fays.  "  But  doft  thou  love  life,  then 
do  not  fquander  time,  for  that  is  the 
fluff  life  is  made  of,"  as  Poor  Richard 
fays.  How  much  more  than  is  necefla-. 
ry  do  we  fpend  in  fleep  ?  forgetting  that 
"  The  fleeping  fox  catches  no  poultry, 
and  that  there  will  be  fleeping  enough 
in  the  grave,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays. 

L,  «  IF 


110         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

"  IF  time  be  of  all  things  the  mofi 
precious,  wafting  time  muft  be/'  as 
Poor  Richard  fays,  "  the  greateft  pro 
digality  ;"  fince,  as  he  elfewhere  tells 
us,  "  Loft  time  is  never  found  again; 
and  what  we  call  time  enough  always 
proves  little  enough  :"  Let  us  -then  up 
and  be  doing,  and  doing  to  the  pur- 
pofe ;  fo  by  diligence  fhall  we  do  more 
with  lefs  perplexity.  "  Sloth  makes 
all  things  difficult,  but  induftry  all  eafy; 
and,  he  that  rifeth  late,  niuft  trot  all 
day,  and  fnall  fcarce  overtake  his  bu- 
finefs  at  night ;  while  lazinefs  travels  fo 
ilowly,  that  poverty  foon  overtakes 
him.  Drive  thy  bufmefs,  let  not  that 
drive  thee ;  and  early  to  bed  and  early 
to  rife,  makes  a  man  healthy,  wealthy, 
and  wife,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays. 

"  So  what  fignifies  wifhing  and  hop 
ing  for  better  times?  We  may  make 
thefe  times  better,  if  we  beftir  ourfelves. 
cc  Induftry  need  not  wifh,  and  he  that 

lives 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          Ill 

lives  upon  hope  will  $ie  fafting.  There 
are  no  gains  without  pains  ;  then,  help 
hands  for  I  have  no  lands/5  or  if  I  have 
they  are  fmartly  taxed.  "  He  that 
hath  a  trade,  hath  an  eftate  ;  and  he 
that  hath  a  calling,  hath  an  office  of 
profit  and  honour,"  as  Poor  Richard 
fays  ;  but  then  the  trade  muft  be  work 
ed  at,  and  the  calling  well  followed, 
or  neither  the  eftate  nor  the  office  will 
enable  us  to  pay  our  taxes.  If  we  arc 
induflrious,  we  will  never  ftarve ;  for 
at  the  working  man's  houfe,  hunger 
looks  in,  but  dares  not  enter."  Nor 
will  the  bailiff  or  the  conftable  enter, 
for  "  Induftry  pays  debts,  while  de- 
fpair  increafeth  them."  What,  though 
you  have  found  no  treafure,  nor  has 
any  rich  relation  left  you  a  legacy,  "  Di 
ligence  is  the  mother  of  good  luck,  and 
God  gives  all  things  to  induftry.  Then 
plough  deep,  while  fluggards  fleep,  and 
you  fhall  have  corn  to  fell  and  to  keep." 

Work 


112    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

Work  while  it  is  called  to-day,  for  you 
know  not  how  much  you  may  be  hin 
dered  to-morrow.  "  One  to-day  is 
worth  two  to-morrows,55  as  Poor  Rich 
ard  fays  ;  and  farther,  "  Never  leave 
that  till  to-morrow,  which  you  can  do 
to-day/5  If  you  were  a  fervant,  would 
you  not  be  afharned  that  a  good  mafter 
fhould  catch  you  idle  ?  Are  you  then 
your  own  mafter  ?  be  afhamed  to  catch 
yourfelf  idle,  when  there  is  fo  much  to 
be  done  for  yourfelf,  your  family,  your 
relations,  and  your  country.  Handle 
your  tools  without  mittens  :  remember, 
that  cs  The  cat  in  gloves  catches  no 
mice,55  as  Poor  Richard  fays.  It  is  true, 
there  is  much  to  be  done,  and,  perhaps, 
you  are  weak-handed ;  but  ftick  to  it 
fleadily,  and  you  will  fee  great  eflefts ; 
for  "  Conftant  dropping  wears  away 
ftones ;  and  by  diligence  and  patience 
the  rnoufe  ate  in  two  the  cable;  and 
little  ftrokes  fell  great  oaks.55 

"  METHINKS 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          113 

"  METHINKS  I  hear  fome  of  you  fay, 
"  Mufl  a  man  afford  himfelf  no  lei- 
fure  ?"  I  will  tell  thee  my  friend  what 
Poor  Richard  fays  ;  "  Employ  thy  time 
well,  if  thou  meaneft  to  gain  leifure; 
and,  fince  thou  art  not  fure  of  a  minute, 
throw  not  away  an  hour."  Leifure  is 
time  for  doing  fomething  ufeful  j  this 
leifure  the  diligent  man  will  obtain,  but 
the  lazy  man  never ;  for,  "  A  life  of 
leifure  and  a  life  of  lazinefs  are  two 
things.  Many,  without  labour  would 
live  by  their  wits  only,  but  they  break 
for  want  of  ftock  ;"  whereas  induftry 
.  gives  comfort,  and  plenty,  and  refped. 
"  Fly  pleafures,  and  they  will  follow 
you.  The  diligent  fpinner  has  a  large 
fhift ;  and  now  I  have  a  fheep  and  a 
cow,  every  body  bids  me  good-mor 
row." 

II.     "  BUT   with    our   induftry,  we 

muft    like  wife   be    fteady,    fettled,    and 

Careful,    and    overfee    our    own    affairs 

L  2  with 


114    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

with  our  own  eyes,  and  not  truft  too 
much  to  others ;  for,  as  Poor  Richard 
fays, 

"  I  never  faw  an  oft-removed  tree, 
Nor  yet  an  oft-removed  family, 
That  throve  fo  well  as  thofe  that  fettled  be." 

cc  And  again,  "  Three  removes  is  as 
bad  as  a  fire ;"  and  again,  "  Keep  thy 
jfhop,  and  thy  fhop  will  keep  thee  ;" 
and  again,  "  If  you  would  have  your 
bufmefs  done,  go  ;  if  not,  fend,55  And 
again, 

"  He  that  by  the  plough  would  thrive, 
Himfelf  muft  cither  hold  or  drive." 

"  And  again,  "  The  eye  of  a  matter 
will  do  more  work  than  both  his  hands ; " 
and  again,  "  Want  of  care  does  us 
more  damage  than  want  of  knowledge;" 
and  again,  "  Not  to  overfee  workmen, 
is  to  leave  them  your  purfe  open." 
Trufting  too  much  to  others  care  is  the 
ruin  of  many  ;  for,  "  In  the  affairs  of 
this  world,  men  are  faved,  not  by  faith, 
but  by  the  want  of  it ;"  but  a  man's 

own 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    115 

own  care  is  profitable ;  for,  "  If  you 
would  have  a  faithful  fervant,  and  one 
that  you  like,  ferve  yourfelf.  A  little 
negleft  may  breed  great  mifchief ;  for 
want  of  a  nail  the  fhoe  was  loft ;  for 
want  of  a  fhoe  the  horfe  was  loft ;  and 
for  want  of  a  horfe  the  rider  was  loft," 
being  overtaken  and  flain  by  the  enemy  $ 
all  for  want  of  a  little  care  about  a 
horfe-lhoe  nail. 

III.  "  So  much  for  induftry  my 
friends,  and  attention  to  one's  own  bu- 
finefs ;  but  to  thefe  we  muft  add  fruga 
lity,  if  we  would  make  our  induftry 
more  certainly  fuccefsful.  A  man  may5 
if  he  knows  not  how  to  fave  as  he  gets, 
cc  keep  his  nofe  all  his  life  to  the  grind- 
ftone,  and  die  not  worth  a  groat  at  lafL 
A  fat  kitchen  makes  a  lean  will ;"  and 

"  Many  eftates  are  fpent  in  the  getting, 

Since  women  for  tea  forfook  fpinning  &  knitting, 
And  men  for  punch  forfook  hewing  and  fplitting.'* 

"  If  you  would  be  wealthy,  think  of 
faving,  as  well  as  of  getting.  The  In- ' 

dies 


Il6         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

dies  have  not  made  Spain  rich,  be- 
caufe  her  outgoes  are  greater  than  her 
incomes.'5 

"  AWAY,  then,  with  your  expenfive 
follies,  and  you  will  not  then  have  fo 
much  caufe  to  complain  of  hard  times, 
heavy  taxes,  and  chargeable  families  ;  for 

"  Women  and  wine,  game  and  deceit, 

Make   the  wealth  fmall,  and  the  want  great/* 

And  farther,  "  What  maintains  one 
vice,  would  bring  up  two  children.5' 
You  may  think,  perhaps,  that  a  little 
tea,  or  a  little  punch  now  and  then, 
diet  a  little  more  coftly,  cloaths  a  little 
finer,  and  a  little  entertainment  now 
and  then,  can  be  no  great  matter ;  but 
remember  many  a  little  makes  a  mickle." 
Beware  of  little  expences  ;  "  A  fmall 
leak  will  fink  a  great  fhip,"  as  Poor 
Richard  fays  ;  and  again,  "  Who  dain 
ties  love,  (hall  beggars  prove  ?"  and 
moreover,  "  Fools  make  feafts,  and 
wife  men  eat  them.3'  Here  you  are  all 
got  together  to  this  fale  of  fineries  and 

nick- 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        Hj 

nick-nacks.  You  call  them  goods  ;  but 
if  you  do  not  take  care,  they  will  prove 
evils  to  fome  of  you.  You  expeft  they 
will  be  fold  cheap,  and,  perhaps,  they 
•may  for  lefs  than  they  coft  ;  but,  if  you 
have  no  occafion  for  them,  they  muft 
be  dear  to  you.  Remember  what  Poor 
Richard  fays,  "  Buy  what  thou  haft 
no  need  of,  and  ere  long  thou  flialt  fell 
thy  neceflaries."  And  again,  "  At  a 
great  pennyworth  paufe  a  while  :"  he 
means,  that  perhaps  the  cheapnefs  is 
apparent  only,  and  not  real ;  or  the 
bargain,  by  ftraitening  thee  in  thy  bufi- 
nefs,  may  do  the  more  harm  than  good. 
For  in  another  place  he  fays,  "  Many 
have  been  ruined  by  buying  good  pen 
nyworths/*  Again,  "  It  is  foolifh  to 
lay  out  money  in  a  purchafe  of  repent 
ance  ;"  and  yet  this  folly  is  praQifed 
every  day  at  auctions,  for  want  of  mind 
ing  the  Almanack.  Many  a  one,  for 
the  fake  of  finery  on  the  back,  have 

gone 


Il8   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

gone  with  a  hungry  belly,  and  half 
ftarved  their  families  ;  "  Silks  and  fat- 
tins,  fcarlet  and  velvets,  put  out  the 
kitchen  fire,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays. 
Thefe  are  not  the  neceffaries  of  life , 
they  can  fcarcely  be  called  the  conve- 
niencies  :  and  yet  only  becaufe  they 
look  pretty,  how  many  want  to  have 
them  ?  By  thefe  and  other  extravagan 
cies,  the  genteel  are  reduced  to  poverty, 
and  forced  to  borrow  of  thofe  whom 
they  formerly  defpifed,  but  who,  thro5 
induftry  and  frugality,  have  maintained 
their  {landing  ;  in  which  cafe  it  appears 
plainly,  that  a  ploughman  on  his  legs 
is  higher  than  a  gentleman  on  his 
knees,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays.  Perhaps 
they  have  had  a  fmall  eftate  left  them, 
which  they  knew  not  the  getting  of: 
they  think  "  It  is  day,  and  will  never 
be  night :"  that  a  little  to  be  fpent  out 
of  fo  much  is  not  worth  minding  ;  but 
always  taking  out  of  the  meal-tub,  and 

never 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR, 

never  putting  in,  foon  comes  to  the 
bottom,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays ;  and 
then,  "  When  the  well  is  dry,  they 
know  the  worth  of  water."  But  this 
they  might  have  known  before,  if  they 
had  taken  his  advice.  "  If  you  would 
know  the  value  of  money,  go  and  try 
to  borrow  fome ;  for  he  that  goes  a 
borrowing  goes  a  forrowing,"  as  Poor 
Richard  fays ;  and,  indeed,  fo  does  he 
that  lends  to  fuch  people,  when  he  goes 
to  get  in  again.  Poor  Dick  farther  ad- 
vifes,  and  fays, 

"  Fond  pride  of  drefs  is  fure  a  very  curfc; 
Ere  fancy  you  confult,  confult  yourpurfe." 

And  again,  "  Pride  is  as  loud  a  beggar 
as  Want,  and  a  great  deal  more  faucy." 
When  you  have  bought  one  fine  thing, 
you  mufl  buy  ten  more,  that  your  ap 
pearance  may  be  all  of  a  piece ;  but 
Poor  Dick  fays,  "  It  is  eafier  to  fup- 
prefs  the  firft  defire,  than  to  fatisfy  all 
that  follow  it :"  And  it  is  as  truly  folly 

for 


120        .THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR, 

for  the  poor  to  ape  the  rich,  as  for  the 
frog  to  fwell,  in  order  to  equal  the  ox. 

"  VcfTels  large  may  venture  more, 

But  little  boats  Ihould  keep  near  ftiore." 

It  is,  however,  a  folly  foon  punifhed ; 
for,  as  Poor  Richard  fays,  "  Pride  that 
dines  on  vanity,  fups  on  contempt ; 
Pride  breakfafted  with  Plenty,  dined 
with  Poverty,  and  fupped  with  Infamy."1 
And,  after  all,  of  what  ufe  is  this  pride 
of  appearance  for  which  fo  much  is  rifk- 
ed,  fo  much  is  fuSered  ?  It  cannot  pro 
mote  health,  nor  eafe  pain;  it  makes 
no  increafe  of  merit  in  the  perfon,  it 
creates  envy,  it  haftens  misfortune. 

"  But  what  madnefs  muft  it  be  to 
run  in  debt  for  thefe  fuperfluities  ?  We 
are  offered,  by  the  terms  of  this  fale, 
fix  months  credit ;  and  that,  .perhaps^ 
has  induced  fome  of  us  to  attend  it, 
becaufe  we  cannot  fpare  the  ready  mo 
ney,  and  hope  now  to  be  fine  without 
it*  But,  ah  !  think  what  you  do  when, 
you  run  in  debt  j  you  give  to  another 

power 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       121 

power  over  your  liberty.  If  you  can 
not  pay  at  the  time,  you  will  be  afham- 
ed  to  fee  your  creditor  ;  you  will  be  in 
fear  when  you  fpeak  to  him  ;  you  will 
make  poor  pitiful  fneaking  excufes,  and 
by  degrees,  come  to  lofe  your  veracity, 
and  fink  into  bafe  downright  lying  ;  for, 
"  The  fecond  vice  is  lying,  the  firft  is 
running  in  debt/'  as  Poor  Richard  fays  ; 
and  again,  to  the  fame  purpofe,  "  Ly 
ing  rides  upon  Debt's  back :"  whereas 
a  free  American  ought  noj:  to  be  afham- 
ed,  nor  afraid  to  fee  or  fpeak  to  any 
man  living.  But  poverty  often  deprives 
a  man  of  all  fpirit  and  virtue.  "  It  is 
hard  for  an  empty  bag  to  fland  up 
right."  What  would  you  think  of  that 
nation,  or  of  that  government,  wh® 
fhould  iflue  an  edid,  forbidding  you  to 
drefs  like  a  gentleman  or  gentlewoman, 
on  pain  of  imprifonment  or  fervitude  ? 
Would  you  not  fay,  that  you  were  free, 
have  a  right  to  drefs  as  you  pleafe,  and 
M  that 


122         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

that  fuch  an  edift  would  be  a  breach  of 
your  privileges,  and  fuch  a  government 
tyrannical?  And  yet  you  are  about  to 
put  yourfelf  under  that  tyranny  when 
you  run  in  debt  for  fuch  drefs !  Your 
creditor  has  authority,  at  his  pleafure, 
to  deprive  you  of  your  liberty,  by  con 
fining  you  in  gaol  for  life,  or  by  felling 
you  for  a  fervant,  if  you  fhould  not  be 
able  to  pay  him :  when  you  have  got 
your  bargain,  you  may  perhaps  think 
little  of  payment ;  but  as  Poor  Richard 
fays,  "  Creditors  have  better  memories 
than  debtors,  creditors  are  a  fuperftiti- 
ous  feft,  great  obfervers  of  fet  days  and 
times. "  The  day  comes  round  before 
you  are  aware,  and  the  demand  is  made 
before  you  are  prepared  to  fatisfy  it ;  or, 
if  you  bear  your  debt  in  mind,  the 
term,  which  at  firft  feemed  fo  long,  will, 
as  it  leffens,  appear  extremely  fliort : 
Time  will  feem  to  have  added  wings  to 
his  heels  as  well  as  his  ihoulders.  "  Thofe 

have 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    123 

have  a  fhort  Lent,  who  owe  money  to 
be  paid  at  Eafter."  At  prefent,  per 
haps,  you  may  think  yourfelves  in  thriv 
ing  circumftances,  and  that  you  can 
bear  a  little  extravagance  without  in 
jury  ;  but 

"  For  age  and  want  fave  while  you  may, 
No  morning-fun  lafts  a  whole  day/7 

GAIN  may  be  temporary  and  uncer 
tain,  but  ever,  while  you  live,  expence  is 
conflant  and  .certain;  and,  "  It  is  ea- 
fier  to  build  two  chimneys,  than  to  keep 
one  in  fuel,"  as  Poor  Richard  fays  :  So, 
"  Rather  go  to  bed  fupperlefs,  than  rife 
in  debt. 

"  Get  what  you  can,  and  what  you  get  hold, 

*Tis  tlic  fluuc  thai  tvlil  turn  all  your  lead  into  gold." 

AND  when  you  have  got  the  philofo- 
pher's  ftone,  fure  you  will  no  longer 
complain  of  bad  times,  or  the  difficulty 
of  paying  taxes. 

IV.  "  THIS  dodrine,  my  friends,  is 
reafon  and  wifdom:  but,  after  all,  do 
tiot  depend  too  much  upon  your  own 

induftry 


124    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

induftry  and  frugality,  and  prudence, 
though  excellent  things ;  for  they  may 
all  be  blafted,  without  the  bleffing  of 
Heaven ;  and  therefore,  afk  that  blef 
fing  humbly,  and  be  not  uncharitable  to 
thofe  that  at  prefent  feem  to  want  it, 
but  comfort  and  help  them.  Remem 
ber,  Job  fuffered,  and  was  afterwards 
profperous. 

"  AND  now  to  conclude,  "  Experi 
ence  keeps  a  dear  fchool,  but  fools  will 
learn  in  no  other,"  as  Poor  Richard 
fays,  and  fcarce  in  that ;  for,  it  is  true, 
"  We  may  give  advice,  but  we  cannot 
give  conduft :"  However  remember  this, 
"  They  that  will  not  be  counfelled  can 
not  be  helped ;"  and  farther,  that  "  If 
you  will  not  hear  Reafon,  fhe  will  fure- 
ly  rap  your  knuckles,"  as  Poor  Richard 
fays. 

THUS  the  old  gentleman  ended  his 
harangue.  The  people  heard  it,  and 
approved  the  doftrine,  and  immediately 

pra&ifed 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    125 

praftifed  the  contrary,  juft  as  if  it  had 
been  a  common  fermon ;  for  the  auc 
tion  opened,  and  they  began  to  buy 
extravagantly.  I  found  the  good  man 
had  thoroughly  ftudied  my  Almanacks, 
and  digefted  all  I  had  dropt  on  thofe 
topics  during  the  courfe  of  twenty-five 
years.  The  frequent  mention  he  made 
of  me  muft  have  tired  any  one  elfe ; 
but  my  vanity  was  wonderfully  delight 
ed  with  it,  though  I  was  confcious,  that 
not  a  tenth  part  of  the  wifdom  was  my 
own,  which  he  afcribed  to  me  ;  but  ra 
ther  the  gleanings  that  I  had  made  of 
the  fenfe  of  all  ages  and  nations.  How 
ever,  I  refolved  to  be  the  better  for 
the  echo  of  it ;  and,  though  I  had  at 
firft  determined  to  buy  fluff  for  a  new 
coat,  I  went  away,  refolved  to  wear  rny 
old  one  a  little  longer.  Reader,  if  thou 
wilt  do  the  fame,  thy  profit  will  be  as 
great  as  mine.  I  am,  as  ever,  thine  to 
fcrve  thee. 

RICHARD  SAUND.ERS, 

M    Z 


126      THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 


ADVICE 


TO       A 


TOUNG  TRADESMAN. 


REMEMBER  that  time  is  money.  He 
that  can  earn  ten  fhillings  a  day 
by  his  labour,  and  goes  abroad,  or  fits 
idle  one  half  of  that  day,  though  he 
fpends  but  fixpence  during  his  diverfion 
or  idlenefs,  ought  not  to  reckon  that 
the  only  expence ;  he  has  really  fpent, 
or  rather  thrown  away,  five  fhillings 
befides. 

REMEMBER  that  credit  is  money.  If 
a  man  lets  his  money  lie  in  my  hands 
after  it  is  due,  he  gives  me  the  intereft, 
or  fo  much  as  I  can  make  of  it  during 

that 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

that  time.  This  amounts  to  a  confider- 
able  fum  when  a  man  has  good  and 
large  credit,  and  makes  good  ufe  of  it. 

REMEMBER  that  money  is  of  a  pro 
lific  generating  nature.  Money  can  be 
get  money,  and  its  offspring  can  beget 
more,  and  fo  on.  Five  {hillings  turned 
is  fix  ;  turned  again,  it  is  feven  and  three 
pence  ;  and  fo  on  till  it  becomes  an  hun 
dred  pounds.  The  more  there  is  of  it, 
the  more  it  produces,  every  turning,  fo 
that  the  profits  rife  quicker  and  quicker. 
He  that  kills  a  breeding  fow,  deftroys  all 
her  offspring  to  the  thoufandth  genera 
tion.  He  that  murders  a  crown,  de 
ftroys  all  that  it  might  have  produced, 
even  fcores  of  pounds. 

REMEMBER  that  fix  pounds  a  year  is 
but  a  groat  a  day.  For  this  little  fum, 
which  may  be  daily  wafted  either  in  time 
or  expence,  unperceived,  a  man  of  cre 
dit  may,  on  his  own  fecurity,  have  the 
conftant  pofleffion  and  ufe  of  an  hun 
dred 


128         TH£    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

dred  pounds.  So  much  in  ftock,  brilk- 
ly  turned  by  an  induftrious  man,  produ 
ces  great  advantage. 

REMEMBER  this  faying,  "  The  good 
paymafter  is  lord  of  another  man's 
purfe."  He  that  is  known  to  pay  punc 
tually  and  exactly  to  the  time  he  pro- 
mifes,  may  at  any  time,  and  on  any  oc- 
cafion,  raife  all  the  money  his  friends 
can  fpare.  This  is  fometimes  of  great 
ufe.  After  induftry  and  frugality,  no 
thing  contributes  more  to  the  raifing  of 
a  young  man  in  the  world,  than  punctu 
ality  and  juftice  in  all  his  dealings:  there 
fore  never  keep  borrowed  money  an 
hour  beyond  the  time  you  promifed, 
left  a  difappointment  fhut  up  your 
friend's  purfe  for  ever. 

THE  rnoft  trifling  actions  that  affeft  a 
man's  credit  are  to  be  regarded.  The 
found  of  your  hammer  at  five  in  the 
morning,  or  nine  at  night,  heard  by  a 
creditor,  makes  him  eafy  fix  months 

longer; 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    129 

longer ;  but  if  he  fees  you  at  a  billiard 
table,  or  hears  your  voice  at  a  tavern, 
when  you  fhould  be  at  work,  he  fends 
for  his  money  the  next  day ;  demands 
it  before  he  can  receive  it  in  a  lump. 

IT  {hews,  befides,  that  you  are  mind 
ful  of  what  you  owe  ;  it  makes  you  ap 
pear  a  careful,  as  well  as  honeft  man, 
and  that  ftill  increafes  your  credit. 

BEWARE  of  thinking  all  your  own 
that  you  poflefs,  and  of  living  accord 
ingly.  It  is  a  miftake  that  many  people 
who  have  credit  fall  into.  To  prevent 
this,  keep  an  exaft  account,  for  fome 
time,  both  of  your  expences  and  your 
income.  If  you  take  the  pains  at  firft 
to  mention  particulars,  it  will  have  this 
good  effe£t ;  you  will  difcover  how 
wonderfully  fmall trifling  expences  mount 
up  to  large  fums,  and  will  difcern  what 
might  have  been,  and  may  for  the  fu 
ture  be  faved,  without  occafioning  any 
great  inconvenience. 

IN 


130   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

IN  fhort,  the  way  to  wealth,  if  you 
defire  it,  is  as  plain  as  the  way  to  mar 
ket.  It  depends  chiefly  on  two  words, 
induftry  and  frugality  ;  that  is,  wafte  nei 
ther  time  nor  money ',  but  make  the  befl 
ufe  of  both.  Without  induftry  and 
frugality  nothing  will  do,  and  with  them 
every  thing.  He  that  gets  all  he  can 
honeftly,  and  faves  all  he  gets,  (necef- 
fary  expences  excepted)  will  certainly 
become  rich ;  if  that  Being  who'  go 
verns  the  world,  to  whom  all  fliould 
look  for  a  bleffing  on  their  honeft  en 
deavours,  doth  not,  in  his  wife  provi 
dence,  otherwife  determine. 

AN  OLD  Tp.ADESMANt 


PART    III. 


A 

SURE    GUIDE 

T  O 

HAPPINESS, 

B  Y 

DOCTOR    SCOTT, 


A 

SURE    GUIDE 

T  0 

H  A  P  P  I  N  E  S  S. 


**    Oh  Happinefx  !   our  beings  end  and  air*, 
"    Good,  plcafure,  eafc,  content  ;  whatever  thy  nams, 
44    That  fometbtHg  fill  which  prompts  tU  eternal  figk, 
'**   For  which  we  hear  to  live,  or  dare  to  die. 
"   Plant  of  celeflialfeed,  if  draft  below, 
"   Say  in  what  favour 'd  foil  thou  deign  ft  to  grow." 

POPE. 

IF  there  be  any  truth  fully  ascertain- 
ed  by  reafon  and  revelation,  it  is 
this.  That  "  Man  is  not  but  to  be  happy" 
Surely  the  mighty  author  of  our  being 
can  have  no  felfilh  view  in  our  creation. 
His  happinefs  is  too  immenfe  and  too 
fecure  to  receive  increafe,  or  to  fuffer 
diminution  from  any  thing  that  we  can 
do.  "  Can  a  man  profit  his  Maker ;  or 
what  need  hath  the  Almighty  of  our  fer- 
<uices  ?" 

N  A  MORE 


1J4         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

A  MORE  important  queftion  claims 
our  regard.  Wherein  confifls  the  hap- 
pinefs  of  Man  ? 

IN  order  to  anfwer  this,  we  muft  re 
member,  that  man  is  compofed  of  two 
natures,  an  animal  and  a  rational,  each 
of  which  is  blefl  with  capacities  of  en 
joyment,  and  muft  have  its  correfpon- 
dent  objefts  of  gratification  before  man 
can  be  happy.  Hitherto  we  have  con- 
fidered  him  in  the  firft  of  thefe,  in  his 
animal  capacity  :  We  have  placed  be 
fore  us,  a  creature  of  noble  fhape^.  end 
and  fair ,  formed  of  nerves  and  fibres, 
and  endued  with  appetites  and  feelings. 

THOUGH  this  his  animal  nature  be 
infinitely  inferior  to  his  rational,  yet  fmce 
the  happinefs  of  the  latter  cannot  be 
complete,  while  the  former  is  deftitute 
of  its  proper  goods,  we  have  devoted 
the  two  preceding  books  to  the  beft  in- 
terefts  of  his  animal  nature*  We  have 
taken  the  liberty  to  fend  him  to  Old 

CORNARO 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        135 

CORNARO  and  Dr.  FRANKLIN,  to  hear 
their  excellent  leftures  on  health  and 
competence,  which  all  allow  to  be  two 
very  choice  ingredients  in  the  cup  of 
happinefs.  Nay,  fome  entertain  fo  high 
an  opinion  of  thefe,  as  to  declare,  that 
if  CORNARO  and  FRANKLIN  could  in- 
fure  a  quantum  fiffficit  of  them,  they 
would  be  content,  and  afk  no  better 
happinefs  than  what  they  could  extract 
from  thefe. 

BUT  let  it  be  remembered  that  this 
is  not  the  language  of  the  wife,  but  of 
the  flothful,  and  of  fuch  as  are  pufhed 
for  money,  who  frequently  experien 
cing  the  painfulnefs  of  being  dunn 
ed,  and  fometimes  rafting  the  fweets 
of  eafe  and  pleafure,  are  ready  to  con 
clude,  that  if  they  had  but  money 
enough ;  Oh  if  they  had  but  money 
enough  to  retire  from  the  fatigues  and 
vexations  of  bufmefs,  and  to  fpend  de 
licious  days  and  nights  in  all  the  varied 

joys 


136      THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

joys  of  feafled  fenfe,    how  bleft  as  the 
immortal  Gods  they  would  be  ! 

AND  truly,  if  man  was  but  a  more 
elegant  fort  of  beaft,  and  capable  of  no 
higher  pleafures  than  thofe  of  fenfe, 
thefe  Mahometan  dreamers  might  be 
more  than  half  in  the  right.  In  that 
cafe,  health  and  competence  might  very 
well  ferve  our  turn  ;  as  with  the  one 
we  might  purchafe,  and  with  the  other 
enjoy,  all  the  happinefs  of  which  we 
were  capable.  But  fince  God  has  been 
fo  good  as  to  raife  us  many  degrees 
above  mere  animal  nature  ;  fince  he  has 
together  with  bodies,  given  us  immor 
tal  minds,  endowed  with  faculties  and 
affeftions  capable  of  angelic  joys,  i* 
follows  very  delightfully,  that  another 
guefs  bill  of  fare  muft  be  made  out  for 
us,  than  that  which  would  ferve  Epi 
curean  hogs. 

THOSE  gentlemen  who  are  fo  fond  of 
{tinting  themfelves  to  mere  bodily  plea 
fures, 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    137 

lures,  would  do  well  to  remembeiy  that 
every  rank  of  animated  nature  mud 
have  its  proper  gratifications  or  be  mi- 
ferable.  Furnifh  earth  and  water  to  a 
plant,  and  it  fhall  look  green,  and  flou- 
rifh  like  a  cedar  in  Lebanon ;  but  give 
nothing  but  this  to  a  horfe,  and  he  fhall 
prefently  perifh  for  want  of  nutriment. 
.  Again,  give  grafs  and  water  to  a  horfe, 
and  he  fhall  look  plump  as  pampered 
fpeculation ;  but  confine  a  man  to  grafs 
and  water,  and  you  fhall  foon  write 
hie  jacet  on  his  tomb.  Thus  every  link 
in  the  great  chain  of  being  has  its  re- 
fpeftive  capacities  and  enjoyments.  Man 
is  favoured  with  thefe  in  a  degree  of 
perfection  above  all  the  creatures  that 
we  have  feen.  He  poffefles,  harmoni- 
oufly  blended  in  himfelf,  the  various 
excellencies  of  two  different  natures; 
together  with  a  relifh  for  all  the  pleafures 
of  the  moft  perfect  animal,  he  can  boaft 
capacities  equal  to  the  fublime  delights 
N  a  .  of 


138    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR, 

of  celeftial  fpirits  ;  now  to  fuppofe  that 
fo  exalted,  I  had  almoft  faid  fo  divine 
a  creature  as  this,  can  be  fatisfied  with 
enjoyments  that  belong  to  the  pooreft 
and  meanefl  part  of  his  nature,  were 
a  far  greater  abfurdity,  than  to  fuppofe 
that  an  animal  of  the  moft  delicate  tafte 
and  fenfe,  can  be  content  with  earth  and 
water,  the  fimple  nutriment  of  a  plant,, 
ACCORDINGLY  we  find  that  experi 
ence  has  ever  evinced  the  miftake  of 
thofe,  who  have  expe&ed,  that  fenfual 
goods  alone  could  make  them  happy. 
This  is  not  a  novel  opinion,  but  feems 
to  have  been  a  favourite  notion  of  fome 
in  the  days  of  King  Solomon,  who  re- 
folved  to  examine  the  truth  or  falfehood 
of  it.  Never  man  enjoyed  equal  opportu 
nities ;  he  had  gold  and  filver  as  the  (tones 
in  the  vallies  for  abundance ;  and  in  wif- 
dom  he  far  exceeded  all  the  fages  of  the 
Eaft.  The  whole  force  of  this  wifdom  and 
wealth  he  determined  to  employ  on  the 

experiment. 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    139 

experiment.     "  Behold  (faid  he)  /  will 
get  me  down  and  make  me  great  works, 
and  build  me  houfes,  and  plant  me  vine 
yards,  and  make  me  gardens   and  pools  of 
water.     I  will  get  me  men  fingers    and 
women  fingers  i  and  all  the  delights  of  the 
fons  of  men  ;  and  whatever  mine  eyes  de- 
fire,  I  will  not  keep  from  them."     When 
every  thing  is  thus  planned  by  himfelf, 
and  executed  according  to  his  direction, 
furely  he  is   arrived  to  the  accomplifh- 
rnent  of  his  wifhes,  and  has  afcended  to 
the    fummit   of    all    human    happinefs. 
The  poor,    who    are  taken    with    fine 
fhows,    would    conclude    fo :    Solomon 
certainly  knows  befl ;    let  us  aik  him. 
What  does  he  fay  ? 

"  Lo!  I  looked  on  all  the  works  that 
my  hands  had  wrought ,  and  on  the  labour 
that  I  had  laboured  to  do,  and  behold  all 
was  vanity  and  vexation  of  fpirit,  and 
there  was  no  profit  under  the  fun"  Well, 
gentlemen,  you,  I  mean  who  think  that 

if 


140         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

if  you  had  but  an  abundance  of  riches -, 
and  health  to  enjoy  them,  you  could  not 
fail  to  be  happy.  What  do  you  think 
of  having  againft  you  fuch  a  formidable 
cafe  in  point  as  this  ?  Are  you  not  be 
ginning  to  fufpeft  that  you  may  have 
been  under  a  miftake  all  this  time  ?  Sup- 
prefs  not  the  friendly  fufpicion  :  Inftead 
of  repining,  you  fhould  rejoice  to  find 
that  you  have  been  in  an  error.  Have 
you  not  abundant  caufe  of  joy,  that 
riches  and  health  with  all  their  fprings 
and  ftreams  of  pleafure,  are  not  alone 
fufficient  to  quench  your  thirft  of  happi- 
nefs,  nor  able  to  fill  up  the  vaft  capa 
cities  of  your  nature  ?  After  conquer 
ing  one  world,  Alexander  fat  down  and 
wept,  that  he  had  not  another  into 
which  he  could  pufh  his  viftories  :  But, 
thank  God,  we  have  not  his  caufe  of 
complaint. 

FOR  after  having  pufhed  our  conquefts 
through  all  thofe  regions  of  innocent 

enjoyment 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

enjoyment  which  belong  to  our  animal 
nature,  we  can  enter  upon  the  far  wider 
provinces  of  REASON  and  AFFECTION, 
and  poflefs  ourfelves  of  all  the  fublime 
pleafures  of  angels,  /'.  e.  the  pleafures 
of  knowledge,  imagination,  virtue, 
friendfhip  and  love.  When  afked  there 
fore,  Wherein  confifts  the  true  happinefs 
of  Man  ?  We  readily  anfwer,  that  as 
the  happinefs  of  a  mere  animal  confifts 
in  exercifmg  its  appetites  on  fuch  goods 
as  are  fuited  to  its  nature,  and  capable 
of  gratifying  all  its  fenfes ;  fo  the  true 
happinefs  of  man  confifts  in  exercifing 
his  faculties  on  fuch  objects  as  are  fuit 
ed  to  his  rational  nature,  and  capable  of 
delighting  his  foul  through  all  her  va 
rious  affections.  But  where  is  that  in 
finite  good?  Who  is  that  wondrous  being 
that  can  feaft  the  faculties,  and  fatisfy 
the  defires  of  an  immortal  mind  ?  'Tis 
God ;  and  he  alone  in  whofe  ineffable 
perfections  the  whole  world  of  ration- 

als 


142    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

als  will  find  enough,  and  more  than 
enough,  to  employ  their  admiration  and 
delight  through  eternal  ages. 

ACCORDINGLY  we  find  that  Chrift, 
when  afked  what  a  man  fhould  do  to  be 
truly  happy,  replied,  "  Thou  Jhalt  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart ^  and 
with  all  thy  mind  ;  and  thou  foalt  love 
thy  neighbour  as  thy f elf  " 

IN  this  admirable  reply,  which  for 
fublimity  of  piety  and  philanthropy, 
and  for  profound  wifdom  and  philofo- 
phy,  deferves  everlafting  veneration. 
We  learn  three  very  important  leffons. 
I.  That  the  chief  good  or  true  happi- 
nefs  of  man  confifts  in  his  mind.  II.  In 
the  .affections  of  his  mind.  And  III. 
In  thofe  affections  direCted  to  worthy  ob- 
je&s. 

I,  HE  who  was  perfectly  acquainted 
with  our  nature,  places  the  fupreme 
happinefs  of  man  in  the  mind.  How 
ftrange  foever  it  may  feem,  yet  moft 

certain 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        143 

certain  it  is,  that  this  ever  was,  and  ftill 
is  a  new  doftrine  to  the  bulk  of  man 
kind.  For  not  only  the  numerous  fe£t 
of  ancient  Epicureans,  and  fenfual  Ma 
hometans,  but  the  generality  of  Chrif- 
tians  to  this  day,  place  the  feat  of  hap- 
pinefs  in  the  body. 

TALK  to  them  about  the  pleafures  of 
the  underftanding,  or  the  ftill  fublimer 
pleafures  of  devotion,  and  your  words 
feem  not  to  be  underftood  ;  but  fhift  the 
fubjefl:,  and  talk  about  the  pleafures  of 
inheriting  large  eftates,  of  living  at  eafe 
and  faring  fumptuoufly  every  day,  and 
immediately  you  perceive,  by  their  fmil- 
ing  countenances  and  ready  converfa- 
tion,  that  you  have  awakened  their  fa 
vourite  ideas,  and  that  thefe  are  the 
things  which  lie  neareft  to  their  hearts. 

THAT  the  goods  of  the  body  confti- 
tute  fome  fmall  part  of  man's  happi- 
nefs,  and  that  therefore  they  ought  to 
be  valued,  and,  as  far  as  confcience  and 

a  regard 


144         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

a  regard  to  higher  interefts  will  permit, 
fhould  be  fought  after,  is  evident.     But 
that  thefe   goods   and  pleafures  of  the 
body,  conftitute  man'sfupreme  happinefs, 
is  one  of  the  mod  degrading,  damnable 
errors,   that   ever  was   broached.     No 
man  who  underftands  the  dignity  of  his 
immortal    part,    and  who    entertains  a 
proper  love  for  himfelf  and  his  fellow 
men,  can  hear  fuch  a  propofition  with 
out  abhorrence  and  indignation.  What ! 
fliall  happinefs  which  all  fo  vehemently 
defire,   and  fo   heartily  pray   for,  both 
for    themfelves   and   for    others ;    fhall 
happinefs,  the  bare  hope  of  which  re 
vives  the  heart,  and  does  good  like  a 
medicine;  which  gives  ftrength  to  the 
weak,  and  courage  to  the  fearful ;  which 
animates  us  through  life ;  nor  deferts  us 
in   death — Shall   this  fondejl   wijh,  this 
fweeteft   expectation   of   all  men,  confift 
merely  in  the  goods   and  pleafures   of 
the  body.     Confider,  tbou  cruel  mur 
derer 


•THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.  I  4 £ 

derer  of  thyfelf ;  thou  barbarous  aflaffin 
of  human    kind>   how  few  ever  attain 
thofe  pleafures  to  which  thou  ftupidly 
oonfinefl   the  happinefs  of  man  ;    how 
fewer  ftill    ever   enjoy  them,    and  how 
foon  death  will  fnatch  them  out  of  the 
hands  of  thofe  who  are  fo  fortunate  ! 
Reflect  what  unnumbered  millions  are 
born  to  no  better  inheritance  than  po 
verty  and  bondage,   and  who,  inftead 
of  being  careflfed  in  the  foft  lap  of  eafe 
and   pleafure,  are    driven  through   lifs 
by    the   fcourge    of    cruel  tyrants,    or 
more  cruel  wants !    hard  put  to  it  to 
get  a  little  bread,  and  fometimes  never 
get   *"/,  at   leaft   not   comfortably  ;   but 
from  various  caufes,  eat  it  all  their  lives 
long   in   bitternefs    of  foul !      And    of 
thofe  feemingly  happy  ones  who  poffefs 
all  the    goods   of  the  body,  How  few 
enjoy  them  without  alloy  ?     How  many, 
by  abufmg  thefe  bleffings^  contract  dif- 
eafes  which  render  fleeting  life  one  con- 
o  tinned 


146         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

tinued  fcene  of  forrow  and  fuffering  ? 
And  in  thofe  apparently  fortunate  cafes, 
where  the  greateft  abundance  of  fenfu- 
al  goods  is  accompanied  with  health  and 
power  of  enjoyment ;  yet,  alas !  how 
foon  does  enjoyment  confume  the  little 
good  which  they  contained,  and  leave 
the  wealthy  glutton  to  languifh  under 
indifference,  to  fret  through  difappoint- 
ment,  and  to  figh  for  fomething  elfe  ? 

CAST  your  eyes  on  that  pale  bloated 
figure.  It  is  the  Emperor  Heliogabalus, 
corrupted  by  the  brutalizing  fophiftry 
of  Epicurus,  /.  e.  that  the  pleafures  of 
the  body  conftitute  man's  only  happi- 
nefs,  he  refolved  to  be  happy  to  fome 
purpofe.  All  Italy  was  taxed  ;  all  Afia 
robbed  to  fupport  his  luxury ;  every 
region  of  the  earth  was  explored ;  every 
element  ranfacked  to  furnifli  his  table. 
All  that  bounteous  nature  beftows  of 
rare  and  delicious  among  her  birds, 
beafts,  fiflies,  fruits  and  fpices;  and 

all 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   147 

all  thefe  prepared  by  the  niccft  hand  of 
cookery,  were  ferved  up  to  feaft  and 
delight  his  appetites.  Surely,  if  luxu 
rious  eafe  and  delicious  fare  were  hap- 
pinefs,  Heliogabalus  mufl  have  been 
bleft  indeed.  The  difcontent  vifible  in 
his  countenance  proves  the  reverfe. 
Could  you  aik  him,  he  would  tell  you 
that  his  pleafures  are  at  bed  but  vain, 
and  too  frequently  vexatious.  Some 
times  he  was  mortified,  becaufe,  through 
defeft  of  appetite,  he  could  not  enjoy 
his  delicious  morfels.  At  other  times, 
tempted  by  their  lufcious  flavour,  he  fed 
to  an  excefs,  which  brought  on  him  a 
variety  of  painful  and  loathfome  difeafes. 
And  at  atl  times  it  was  matter  of  grief 
to  him,  that  the  pleafures  of  eating  and 
drinking  fliould  fo  foon  be  over.  This 
circumftance  caufed  one  of  the  Roman 
Emperors  to  quarrel  with  his  own  con- 
ftitution,  and  to  wifh,  in  all  the  rage  of 
disappointed  pleafure,  that  he  had  the 

ftomach 


148         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

ftomach  of  a  horfe,  that  he  might  en 
joy  the  fatisfa&ion  of  eating  ten  times 
as  much  as  its  prefent  fcanty  capacities 
would  allow.  And  another  Emperor, 
for  the  fame  fwinifh  reafon,  preferred 
his  petition  to  the  Gods,  that  they 
would  grant  him  a  neck  as  long  as  that 
of  a  crane,  vainly  hoping,  that  he 
fliould  thereby  the  longer  enjoy  the 
dear  pleafure  of  fwallowing. 

BUT  granting  the  fenfuality  an  utter 
exemption  from  all  the  ills  and  vexa 
tions  of  gluttony  ;  that  his  coveted  dain 
ties  are  all  ferved  up  in  the  mod  invit 
ing  ftyle  of  perfection ;  that  his  fruits 
are  lucioufly  ripe  and  frefh  ;  his  meats 
tender  and  delicioufly  flavoured  ;  his 
cookery  the  mofl  exquifite  in  the 
world,  and  his  wines  equal  to  the  neftar 
of  Jove.  And  granting  too  that  he 
has  an  appetite  to  feafon,  and  health  to 
enjoy  all  thefe  dainties,  yet,  alas !  how 
foon  muft  the  feafon  of  enjoyment  be 

over 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    149 

over  with  him  forever  !  Old  age  will 
prefently  fteal  on  him  ;  his  nerves  muft 
foon  grow  hard  and  dull,  and  lofe  their 
delicate  edge  and  fenfibility,  and  then, 
though  he  may  fit  down,  yet  can  he  not 
enjoy  his  dainty  morfels. 

BEHOLD,  I  am  now  (faid  the  rich  old 
Barzillai)  fourfcore  years  old,  and  can  I 
difcern  what  is  favour y  ?  Can  I  tajle  what 
I  eat  or  what  I  drink  ;  or  can  1  hear  the 
'voice  of  Jlnging  men  and  Jinging  women  ? 
After  this  humiliating  period,  what  fad 
difhonours  will  ficknefs  and  death  foon 
bring  upon  the  body,  the  gluttons  pam 
pered  pride  !  His  cheeks  once  fo  plump 
and  rofy,  are  now  pale  and  emaciated. 
His  Ikin,  formerly  fo  fmooth  and  po* 
lifted,  is  now  deformed  with  wrinkles. 
His  body  once  ftraight  and  ere£t,  rs  now 
crooked  and  bent  with  years.  His  limbs, 
late  fo  nimble  and  aftive,  are  now  ftiff 
and  fcarcely  able  to  move.  And  he 
who  forty  years  ago  poflefled  all  the 
o  2  bloom 


150        THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

bloom  and  vigour  of  full  formed  man 
hood,  is  now  fhrunk  away  to  mere  Ikin' 
and  bone,  and  experiences  all  the  help- 
leflhefs  of  a  fecond  childhood. 

SUPPORTED  on  his  crutches  or  cane, 
he  attempts  to  move,  but  it  is  with  dif 
ficulty  and  pain.  His  knees  knock  a- 
gainft  each  other  through  weaknefs. 
His  hands  tremble,  and  his  whole  body 
fhakes  as  with  an  ague.  In  a  little  time 
his  infirmities  prevail ;  his  body,  though 
but  the  fhadow  of  his  former  felf,  is 
now  too  heavy  for  his  exhaufted  ftrength. 
In  a  low  faultering  voice,  he  begs  to  be 
led  to  his  bed,  and  there  lies  down 
never  more  to  rife.  Nature  now  finks 
apace;  his  heart  labours;  his  breaft  hea 
ves  ;  his  breathing  becomes  fhort  and 
quick ;  his  eyes  are  hollow  and  funk ; 
his  voice  grows  hoarfe;  he  rattles  in 
the  throat ;  his  limbs  wax  cold  ;  his 
teeth  turn  black ;  he  foams  at  the  mouth ; 
a  feeble  convulfion  fhakes  his  frame, 

and. 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

and,  with  a  deep  groan,  his  unwilling 
fpirit  takes  her  leave.  Immediately  pu- 
trefaftion  and  worms  begin  their  loath- 
fome  office  ;  and  in  a  little  time,  this 
pampered,  Idolized  flefli,  returns  to  the 
duft  of  which  it  was  formed. 

WHO  can  contemplate  this  picture, 
and  not  bewail  with  tears  of  blood,  the 
madnefs  of  thofe  who  expeft  their  only 
happinefs  from  fuch  a  '•vile  body !  O 
how  infinitely  fuperior  to  thefe  mifer- 
able  delufions  is  the  Heaven  defcended 
philofophy  of  Jefus  Chrift !  In  that  di 
vine  religion,,  the  body,  inflead  of  be 
ing  exalted  as  the  feat  of  owr  happinefs9 
is  depreciated  as  the  principal  caufe  of 
our  mifery,  being,  as  the  poet  exprefles 
it,  not  only  a  nefl  of  pain  and  bag  of 
corruption,  but  the  moft  fruitful  fource 
of  our  fins  and  forrows.  Chrift  feldom 
mentions  the  body,  except  to  expofe 
its  comparative  worthleflhefs,  and  to, 
caution  us  againft  its  defiling  lufts.  In 

every 


152         TH£    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

every  part  of  the  facred  volume,  you 
hear  his  voice  exclaiming  with  all  the 
earneftnefs  of  parental  affeftion  :  "  Woe 
be  to  him  who  trufteth  in  the  body,  and 
maketh  flefh  his  hope,  for  'wherein  is  it  to 
be  relied  on?  Its  origin  is  but  duft,  its 
beauty  but  a  flower,  its  life  but  a  vapour, 
and  its  duration  but  a  moment.  Pain  and 
wearinefs  accompany  it  while  living,  cor* 
ruption  and  worms  feize  on  it  when  dead. 
0  let  not  thine  heart  decline  to  its  lufts, 
and  yeild  not  to  its  enticements,  for  they 
have  cq/i  down  many  wounded  ;  yea,  many 
ftrong  men  have  beenjlain  by  them  ;  their 
way  is  the  way  to  hell,  going  down  by  the 
chambers  of  death.  But  though  in  the 
body  thou  canft  jind  no  true  content,  yet 
think  of  thy  foul  and  rejoice,  for  Jhe  is 
?nore  precious  than  filver,  yea  much  jine 
gold  is  not  to  be  compared  unto  her.  Her 
beginning  is  from  the  breath  of  the  Almighty, 
and  her  duration  is  as  the  days  of  eternity. 
She  was  made  but  a  little  lower  than  the 

angels, 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    153 

angels,   and  heaven  was  prepared  of  old 
for  the  place  of  her  habitation.     Wouldjl 
thou  be   happy,  deck  her  with  the  jewels 
of  piety,  and   cloath  her  with  virtue  as 
with    a  garment ;   then  Jhall  the  lamp  of 
the  Almighty  Jhine  into  thy  heart,  and  joy 
Jhall  be   thy   conjiant   companion.      When 
thou   walkeji  by  the  way,    thy  foot  Jhall 
not  Jlumble ;  and  when  thou  llejl  down, 
thy  Jleep  Jhall  befweet.     In  the  day  offtck- 
nefs  thou  Jhalt   not   be  afraid,  and  when 
death  cometh  upon  thee,  thou  JJoalt  laugh 
him  to  f corn  ;  for  the  Lord  of  hojls  is  thy 
friend,  and  underneath  thee  are  the  ever- 
lajiing  arms.     He  Jhall  fc*j  unto  thee,  fear 
not,  thou  worm  "Jacob,  for  lam  with  thee  ; 
be  not  difmayed  for  I  am  thy  God.      Then 
Jhall  hejlrip  off  thee  the  vile  rags  of  mor 
tality,  and  cloath  thee  with  the  garments 
of  falvation.       He  Jhatl  wipe  from  thine 
eyes   the   tear  of  forrow,  and  anoint   thy 
face  with   the  oil  of  gladnefs.     He  JJjall 
condutt  thee  Into  his  own  city,  the  city  of 

the 


154   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

the  living  God,  and  unto  the  general  affem* 
bly  of  angels ,  and  fplrlts  of  juft  men  made 
ferfed.  Hejhallgive  thee  to  drink  with 
them  of  his  rivers  of  pleafure^  and  to  feajl 
on  joys  at  his  right  hand  forever  more." 

THUS  fplendid  are  the  honours  and 
felicities  of  which  the  foul  of  man  is 
capable.  Thefe  are  the  eternal  goods 
to  which  Chrifl  intreats  us  to  afpire,  and 
for  the  fake  of  which,  he  bids  us  defpife 
the  low  unfatisfa&ory  pleafures  of  a 
dying  body. 

WHAT  divine  goodnefs,  what  per- 
feft  wifdom,  are  blended  in  that  philofo. 
phy,  which  enjcms  us  to  feek  our  happi- 
nefs  in  the  mind  and  not  in  the  body. 
In  that  part  of  our  nature  which  exalts 
us  to  God,  and  not  in  that  which  de- 
prefles  us  to  the  brute.  In  that  part 
of  us  which  will  live  forever,  and  not 
in  that  which  is  daily  in  danger  of 
dropping  into  the  grave.  In  that  part 
of  us  which  can  enjoy  the  noble  plea 
fures 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    155 

fures  of  the  glorious  ones  in  Heaven, 
and  not  in  that  whofe  few  pleafures  are 
in  common  with  the  creatures  of  the 
flails  and  ftyes. 

BUT  our  divine  Philofopher  places 
the  fupreme  happinefs  of  man,  not  only 
in  the  mind,  as  we  have  juft  feen,  but 

II.  IN  the  affedions  of  the  mind. 

THIS  alfo  will  appear  to  many  as  a 
ftrange  faying.  It  muft  expeft  to  com 
bat,  not  only  the  prejudices  of  coarfe 
Epicures,  but  the  more  ferious  doubts 
of  many  who  feem  to  be  more  refined 
and  rational  in  their  fchemes  of  happi 
nefs.  Many,  even  of  thofe,  who  dif- 
daining  a  vile  body,  funk  their  happi 
nefs  in  the  immortal  mind,  have  never 
yet  dreamed  that  it  confifls  in  the  af- 
fe&ions,  but  have  fought  it  rather  in 
the  improvements  of  the  under/land- 
ing.  Obferving  the  great  refpeft  that 
is  paid  to  men  of  learning,  and  remem 
bering  the  high  entertainment  which 

they 


156    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

they  themfelves  have  derived  from  the 
converfation  of   fuch  men,    they  con 
clude,  that  learning  muft  be  the  bright- 
eft  ornament  and  higheft  happinefs  of 
human  nature.     In  their  eftimation,  the 
man  whofe  comprehenfive  rrjind  takes 
a  wide  furvey  of  the  works  of   God, 
and  of  the  inventions  of   men ;    who 
foars  into  the  Heavens,   and  calls   the 
ftars  by  name ;  calculates  eclipfes,  and 
fortells  comets  ;  who  thence  goes  down 
into   the   depths   of    the  fea,    and   ex 
plains  the  caufes    of   its    ceafelefs   mo 
tions  ;   who  traverfes  the  boundlds  re 
gions  of  the  earth,  knows  all  their  king- 
doms,  'with  the  glory  of  them;  who  fpeaks 
various   languages,  fathoms  the  depths 
of  arts   and   fciences,    underftands   the 
hiftory  of   nations,    the   laws    and   go 
vernment  of  all  people.     This,  in  their 
eftimation,  is  the  truly  happy  man.     In 
a  mind   thus  richly  furnilhed,   he  pof- 
fefles  (as  they  fuppofe)  the  materials  of 

an 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          157 

an  enjoyment,   of  which  nothing   can 
ever  deprive  him. 

FAR  be  it  from  me  to  fpeak  difre* 
fpe&fully  of  learning,  for  certainly  learn 
ing  or  \vifdom  is  the  pia  mater,  or  firfl 
attribute  of  God  himfelf,  and  the  vaft 
circumference  within  which  lies  all  the 
happinefs  that  human  or  angelic  minds 
can  enjoy.  But  this  I  fay,  that  all  the 
learning  in  the  world,  if  feparated  from 
the  affections,  can  never  make  us  truly 
happy  :  And  that  thefe  fplendid  attain 
ments  in  fcience  were  never  intended  to 
form  the  fupreme  happinefs  of  man,  is 
evident,  becaufe  the  bulk  of  mankind 
are  not  capable  of  becoming  great  fcho- 
lars  and  philofophers.  Alas !  What 
numbers,  after  all  the  pains  that  have 
been  taken  with  them,  never  learn  even 
to  read  their  mother  tongue  with  pro 
priety  !  How  many,  who  after  a  feven 
years  apprenticefhip,  and  a  whole  life's 
employment,  never  learn  to  fit  on  a 
p  handfouie 


158    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

handfome  boot  or  fhoe !  Many  born 
with  genius  equal  to  the  attainment  of 
learning,  are  conftrained  to  live  and  die 
in  ignorance,  for  want  of  means  to  de 
fray  the  expence  of  education  ;  while 
others  are  obliged  to  flop  in  the  middle 
of  their  career,  and  to  give  up  the  fond 
hopes  of  knowledge,  becaufe  of  a  con- 
flitution  too  delicate  to  bear  the  fatigues 
of  ftudy.  But  granting  to  the  lover  of 
learning,  every  advantage  of  genius, 
conftitution  and  fortune,  that  ever  fell 
to  the  lot  of  the  mod  favoured  of  man 
kind,  what  mighty  acquifitions  can  be 
made  by  him  whofe  genius  is,  at  beft, 
but  dulnefs,  and  whofe  days  are  but  a 
moment !  When  he  confiders  the  fe- 
crets  of  art,  fo  multiplied  and  myfteri- 
ous,  he  fits  down  in  defpair.  When  he 
contemplates  the  works  of  God,  fo  in 
finite  and  unfearchable,  the  fpirit  faints 
within  him,  and  he  feems  to  himfelf, 
but  as  a  feather  floating  on  the  furface 

of 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       159 

of  a  mighty  ocean,  whofe  wonders  he 
can  never  explore.  And  were  he  aik- 
ed  for  the  fum  of  his  learning,  he 
would,  if  honeft,  take  up  the  lamenta 
tion  of  the  old  philofopher,  and  reply, 
that  after  the  vain  toils  of  threefcore 
years,  he  has  learned  to  know  that  he 
knows  nothing. 

BUT  admitting  that  he  has  acquired 
that  flock  of  learning  on  which  vain 
mortals  are  fo  adventurous  as  to  fet  up 
for  mafters  and  doctors.  Admitting  that 
he  has  learned  languages,  ftudied  arts 
and  fciences,  &c.  &c.  What  is  there, 
in  all  this  to  make  him  happy,  or  to 
fatisfy  the  defires  of  an  immortal  mind  ? 
As  to  languages,  what  folly  to  dream 
as  fome  do,  of  great  wifdom  and  ho 
nour  to  be  found  in  learning  them ! 
For,  What  is  language  but  words  or 
founds  by  which  we  communicate  our 
thoughts  to  one  another?  If  thefe 
words  or  founds  had  the  power  like 

charms^ 


l6o         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

charms^  to  brighten  our  wits,  or  to  bet 
ter  our  hearts,  this  language-mongery 
would  be  a  noble  fpeculation ;  but, 
alas !  inftead  of  making  us  wifer,  thefe 
learned  languages  often  make  us  greater 
fools.  For,  allowing,  that  after  an  ex- 
pence  of  five  years,  and  of  at  leaft  as 
many  hundred  pounds,  a  young  man 
has  learned  enough  to  give  his  horfe  a 
Latin  or  Greek  name ;  What  mighty 
advantages  does  he  derive  from  this 
pretty  art  of  nick-naming  God's  crea 
tures  ?  Does  it  teach  him  any  new  ideas 
relative  to  the  nature  and  qualities  of  a 
horfe  ?  Or  can  it  furnifh  him  one  ufe- 
ful  receipt  in  farriery,  or  a  fingle  rule 
for  the  better  management  and  choice 
of  that  noble  animal  ? 

EVIDENTLY,  therefore,  the  fummum 
bonum,  or  chief  good  of  man  does  not 
confift  in  dead  languages. 

AND  as  to  fyftems  of  human  learning, 
from  which  fome  fondly  expeft  unfail 
ing 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    l6l 

ing  pleafure  and  eternal  honour,  what 
are  they,  frequently ',  but  fyflems  of  hu 
man  error,  monuments  of  the  pride  of 
man,  who,  impatient  to  be  thought  ig 
norant  of  any  thing,  boldly  feizes  fan 
cy  for  fad,  and  conje&ure  for  evidence, 
and  with  thefe  fairy  workmen,  prefent- 
ly  runs  up  vaft  Babels  of  philofophy,  vain 
ly  fo  called.  A  w^hole  lifetime  is  hardly 
fufficient  to  underfland  thefe  pompous 
errors ;  and  fcarcely  are  they  under- 
flood,  before  they  are  exploded  to  make 
room  for  fome  other  fet  of  notions^ 
equally  vain  and  perifliable. 

BUT,  admitting  that  we  have  turned 
our  ftudies  to  the  nobleft  of  human 
fciences,  fciences  founded  on  truth,  and 
promifmg  much  entertainment  and  ufeful 
knowledge  ;  yet,  alas  !  full  foon  fhall  ex 
perience  prove  the  truth  of  the  remark 
made  by  Solomon,  that  "  In  much  learn 
ing  is  much  trouble  ;  and  he  who  increaf* 
es  knowledge,  increafes  forrwu"  See  ! 
p  Q,  how 


l62         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

how  envioujly,  {harp  thorns  and  briars 
fhoot  up  among  the  fweet  flowers  which 
we  expected  to  gather.  To  make  any 
confiderable  progrefs  in  fciences,  we 
muft  renounce  fome  of  the  freedom  and 
amufements  of  life  ;  this  is  mortifying  ; 
confinement  is  wearifome  ;  hard  ftudy 
fatigues  the  brain ;  intenfe  thinking 
fours  the  temper  ;  flow  progrefs  is  dif- 
heartening  ;  doubts  are  vexatious  ;  and 
prefently  darknefs  and  thick  clouds  ga 
ther  over  the  path  of  fcience,  and  for 
bid  us  to  proceed  any  farther.  Sure 
ly  man  walketh  in  a  vain  Jhadow,  and  dif~ 
quleteth  himfelf  in  vain. 

BUT  fuppofmg  that  we  could  under- 
Hand  all  human  fciences  in  the  mofl 
perfect  degree,  how  very  fliort  lived 
would  be  the  pleafures  arifmg  from 
them  !  When  firft  made,  and  frefh  on 
the  mind,  the  difcoveries  of  truth  are 
highly  gratifying  to  curiofity,  but  in  a 
fliort  time  they  become  familiar,  and 

thence 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    163 

thence  almoft  infipid.  Hence  we  often 
fee  learned  men  as  difcontented  and  pee- 
vifh  as  others  ;  a  plain  proof  that  hu 
man  learning  opens  no  fpring  of  lading 
happinefs  in  the  mind.  Indeed,  fo  far 
from  producing  this  very  defireable  ef- 
feft,  it  frequently  nurfes  paffions  the 
moft  unfriendly  to  his  happinefs,  both 
in  this  world  and  the  next.  The  bright 
er  talents  and  fuperior  fame  of  a  rival 
wit,  often  pierce  his  heart  with  the 
keeneft  pangs  of  envy ;  fuccefs  puffs 
him  up  with  pride,  and  renders  him 
infufferably  difagreeable ;  difappointment 
fires  him  with  rage,  or  links  him  into 
defpondency :  While  the  flafh  of  an 
unguarded  witticifm  often  lofes  him  a 
valuable  friend,  or  creates  a  mortal 
enemy.  But  allowing  that  he  were  the 
greateft  fcholar  and  orator  of  the  age, 
and  could  harangue  on  any  fubjeft,  with 
all  the  force  of  argument  and  charms 
of  eloquence;  that  whenever  he  appear 
ed 


164         THE    IMMORTAL     MENTOR. 

ed,  the  impatient  crowds  repaired  to 
hear  the  magic  of  his  enchanting  tongue : 
that  princes  were  his  patrons,  and 
the  great  ones  of  the  earth  his  admir 
ers;  yet  how  vain  and  treacherous  a 
good  would  all  this  be  !  How  utterly 
unworthy  to  be  coveted  as  the  chief 
good  of  man !  For  yet  but  a  few  fleet 
ing  years,  and  the  cold  hand  of  age  will 
be  on  him,  and  then,  alas !  all  thefe 
fine  talents  and  blooming  honours,  fliall 
perifh  as  the  lovely  flower  perifhes  when 
touched  by  the  killing  frofts  of  winter. 
His  wit  fhall  fparkle  no  more  ;  no  more 
fhall  his  fancy  charm  us  with  the  fplen- 
dor  of  its  images,  nor  his  mind  afto- 
nifh  us  with  the  vaftnefs  of  her  con 
ceptions  ;  his  memory  muft  then  give 
up  all  her  precious  treafures  ;  and  dumb 
forever  will  be  that  tongue  whofe  elo 
quence,  like  fweeteft  mufic,  foothed 
each  liftening  ear,  and  led  in  triumph 
all  the  obedient  paffions. 

AND 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    165 

AND  are  fuch  fading  accomplifhments 
as  thefe,  fit  food  for  an  immortal  foul 
that  was  born  for  heaven  ? 

BUT  although  this  acknowledged  va 
nity  and  vexation  of  human  learning, 
fufficiently  proves  the  fad  miftake  of 
thofe  who  make  an  idol  of  it ;  yet  let 
us  not,  on  the  other  hand,  run  into 
the  equal  error  of  fuch  as  trample  it 
under  their  feet  as  vain  and  worthlefs 
altogether.  Along  with  its  drofs,  it 
contains  much  ufeful  metal,  for  the 
fake  of  which  we  may  well  afford  to 
toil. 

EVEN  the  languages,  though  the  leqft 
neceffary  of  all  human  learning,  are 
not  entirely  without  their  ufes.  We 
may  chance  to  fall  in  with  a  poor  for 
eigner  who  has  not  broken  Englilh 
enough  to  tell  us  his  wants.  We  may 
get  honeft  bread  by  interpreting,  tranf- 
lating,  or  teaching  languages.  Or  fhould 
it  be  our  fortune  to  (land  behind  a  coun 
ter, 


l66        THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

ter,  we  may,  with  the  help  of  a  little 
bad  French,  fell  a  great  deal  of  good 
merchandize.  We  may  likewife  find 
much  pleafure  in  reading  the  enchant 
ing  works  of  foreign  poets,  hiftorians, 
&c.  and  this  effeft  may  lead  to  one  ftill 
more  valuable  ;  it  may  infpire  us  with 
fentimejits  of  friendfhip  for  the  nation 
to  which  thefe  excellent  men  belong, 
and  thus  happily  moderate  that  refent- 
ment,  which,  under  certain  circum- 
ftances  we  might  feel  againft  them. 
Thefe  effefts,  in  a  very  comfortable  de 
gree,  I  have  myfelf  experienced.  I 
have  found,  that  my  paflions,  kindling 
into  pain  from  the  blows  (truck  our  un 
offending  country,  by  the  Britifh,  have 
been  confiderably  calmed  by  recolleft- 
ing,  that  thefe  our  injurers,  are  the 
children  of  the  fame  once  glorious  ijland 
which  gave  to  us  and  to  all  mankind, 
a  Milton,  a  Newton,  a  Locke,  a  Bar 
row,  and  other  UNEQUALLED  EIGHTS 

of 


TH£  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    167 

of  philofophy  and  divinity,  whofe  friend 
ly  fplendors  have  contributed  fo  happi 
ly  to  repel  the  coming  clouds  of  "  chaos 
and  old  night"  and  to  eftablifh  the  em 
pire  of  reafon  and  pure  religion. 

HITHERTO  we  have  endeavoured  to 
point  out  the  miftake  of  thcfe,  (a  nu 
merous  race)  who  look  for  happinefs 
among  fenfual  pleafures,  and  in  human 
learning.  Two  other  orders  of  candi 
dates,  equally  numerous,  and,  as  I 
think,  equally  miftaken,  prefent  them* 
felves5 — I  mean  the  hardy  fons  of  ava 
rice  and  ambition.  The  firft  of  thefe, 
the  mifer,  blefles  God  ;  wonders  how 
people  can  be  fo  weak  as  to  throw  away 
their  time  and  money  on  book  learning 
and  filly  pleafures.  He  has  jufler  no 
tions  of  things.  Gold  is  with  him  the 
one  thing  needful.  He  rifes  early,  early,  late 
takes  reft,  and  eats  the  bread  of  careful- 
nefs  and  toil,  in  order  to  join  houfe  to  houfe, 
0_  ond 


l68       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

and  field  to  field^  and  thus  to   remove 
himfelf  far  from  all  dread  of  want. 

BUT  of  wealth  it  may  be  faid,  happi* 
nefs  is  not  here.  Gold,  it  is  true,  is  the 
quinteflence  of  lands,  houfes,  foft  cloath- 
ing,  fumptuous  fare,  and  of  every  other 
pleafure  that  flelh  and  blood  is  heir  to. 
But  evident  it  is  to  reafon^  that  all  the 
treafures  on  earth  can  never  fatisfy  an 
immortal  foul :  And  Scripture  afTerts, 
that  "  A  man's  life  conjifteth  not  in  the 
abundance  of  the  things  which  he  po/feffeth.9' 
And  whofe  experience  doth  not  witnefs 
it  ?  We  call  the  rich  happy !  Alas  ! 
could  we  but  fee  their  anxious  cares* 
their,  inward  reftlefihefs,  the  miferies  of 
defires  delayed  or  difappointed,  which 
fometimes  attend  even  the  moil  fortu 
nate  ;  could  we  know  their  conftant 
fears  of  lofing,  and  their  third  for  more, 
which  fuffers  them  not  to  enjoy  their 
prefent  gains  ;  could  we  follow  one  who 
is  "  making  hajte  to  be  rich"  through 

al! 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          169 

all  his  toils  and  labours,  his  weary  days 
and  fleeplefs  nights,  and  all  his  various 
vexations,  we  fhould  be  fully  convinced 
of  the  truth  of  this,  that  he  who  increaf- 
ctb  riches,  increafeth  forrow. 

I  MAY  appeal  to  every  man's  heart 
who  has  fought  happinefs  from  this 
quarter,,  if  this  has  not  been  his  con- 
ftant  experience.  You  prpmifed.  your- 
felf  that  you  fhould  be  perfectly  happy 
when  the  other  thoufand  was  added  to 
your  flock,  or  the  next  purchafe  enlarg 
ed  you  eftate  :  You  had  your  wifh,  and 
yet  you  ftill  wanted:  Something  was 
lacking.  You  propofed  new  additions, 
and  waited  for  your  happinefs  again  ; 
but  a  new  thirft  urged  you  again  to  new 
cares  and  to  new  toils.  And  if  the 
time  fhould  ever  come,  that  you  fhall 
think  that  you  have  enough,  and  like  the 
rich  man  in  the  gofpel,  "  begin  to  pull 
down  your  barns  and  build  greater  ;  and 
•to  fay  to  your  foui,  Soul,  ihou  haft  much 

goods 


170         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

goods  laid  up  for  many  years  ^  take  thine 
eafe,  eat,  drink ,  and  be  merry:"  Then 
expeft  the  final  difappointment  in  that 
alarming  mefiage,  "  Thou  foe!,  this  nighi 
jhall  thy  foul  be  required  of  thee  ;  then 
•whofe  Jhall  all  thofe  things  be  which  thou 
haft  Jo  laboriGuJly  laid  up?" — Such  is 
the  happinefs  of  thofe  who  trufc  in  un 
certain  riches. 

THE  ambitious  feeks  his  happinefs  in 
the  attainment  of  honour  :  And  indeed 
to  be  diftinguifhed  in  the  world,  treated 
with  refped,  fpoken  of  with  admira 
tion,  carefled  and  courted  by  all  around 
us,  is  highly  pleafing  to  the  heart  of 
man,  and,  in  the  eyes  of  many,  poflef- 
fes  charms  far  fuperior  to  the  vanities  of 
pleafure,  or  the  fordidnefs  of  gain  ;  yet 
doth  the  defire  of  wordly  efteem  re 
move  the  foul  as  far  from  true  happi 
nefs  as  the  former.  The  enjoyment 
arifing  from  the  honour  which  cometh 
from  man,  ftand  continually  on  a  pre 
carious 


THE    IMMORTAI.    MENTOR.        IJl 

carious  foundation ;  it  totters  before 
every  blaft  of  difrefpeft,  and  every  ru 
mour  of  malevolence.  Like  grafs  on 
the  houfe  top,  it  often  withereth  before  it 
is  plucked  up  ;  For  what  can  (land  be 
fore  envy?  The  hopes  of  men,  like 
bubbles  in  the  air,  ufually  burft  as  they 
expand.  The  labours  of  ambition  are 
difappointed,  the  pride  of  honor  mor 
tified,  the  idol  of  reputation  broken  to 
pieces,  and  the  friendlhips  of  the  world 
generally  faithlefs. 

ALAS  !  That  man,  born  for  heaven? 
Ihould  wafte  his  fliort  day  of  grace  in 
torturing  himfelf  to  conform  to  the  hu 
mours  of  a  vain  world  ;  feeking  a  phan 
tom  of  fame  lighter  than  air ;  grafping 
at  diftinftions  vain  and  insignificant ; 
flaking  his  happinefs  on  the  beck  or 
breath  of  worms  like  hirnfelf ;  and  after 
all,  too  frequently  obliged  to  take  up 
the  lamentation  of  the  once  great  Car 
dinal  Woolfey  :  "  Had  I  butferved  Cod 

as 


172    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

as  faithfully  as  I  have  ferved  the  world i 
he  would  not  thus  have  forfaken  me  in 
my  grey  hairs" 

BUT  the  vanity  of  feeking  happinefs 
from  riches,  honors  and  pleafures,  is 
yet  more  convincingly  felt  when  death 
comes  to  put  a  final  clofe  to  this  mortal 
fcene.  Ah  !  rny  friends,  this  is  the  aw 
ful  hour  that  (trips  off  the  tinfel  cover- 
ings  of  folly,  (lamps  vanity  on  all  be 
neath  the  fun,  and  (hews  that 

"  Too  low  they  build,  who  build  beneath  the  ftars." 

IN  that  day  of  terror  and  defpair,  what 
can  a  vain  world  offer  its  poor  deluded 
followers  ?  Will  a  party  of  pleafure  fuit 
the  chamber  of  ficknefs  ?  Or  the  fongs 
of  folly  delight  the  ear  that  liftens  with 
trembling  to  the  (Iriking  hour  ?  What 
mufic  will  found  in  concert  with  dying 
groans  ?  Or  what  joy  can  jewels  and 
brocades  afford  when  the  (hroud  is  ready 
to  fupplant  them  ?  Will  the  fparkling 
bowl  revive  any  longer,  when  the  par 
ched 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

ched  tongue  begins  to  faulter  ?  Or  beau-, 
ty  kindle  the  unhallowed  fire  when  death 
fits  on  the  fixed  eye  balls,  and  fpreads 
his  chilling  damps  over  the  heart?  Alas  ! 
my  brother,  vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  va 
nity,  is  now  feen  in  chara&ers  too  legible 
to  be  overlooked.  The  remembrance 
of  a  life  mifpent  in  vain  or  in  guilty 
pleafures,  will  fill  the  foul  with  pangs 
of  remorfe,  with  agonies  of  horror,  of 
which  none  but  the  wretched  fufferers 
can  form  any  idea.  "  Ah  pleafure,  flea- 
fure,  Thou  vile  forcer efs  !  Thou  curfed  de- 
Jiroyer  of  my  foul  I  Thou  once  fmiled/l  as 
with  the  charms  of  innocence^  now  I  feel 
thee  Jling  as  a  viper.  Where  are  thy  pro- 
mifes  of  delight  ?  Fool  that  I  was  to  believe 
thee!  For  thy  fake  I  have  en/laved  my 
foul  to  the  lufts  of  a  brute,  and  cherijhed 
the  pajjions  of  a  demon  !  I  have  neglected 
God)  and  fold  my  birth-right  to  heave-n ! 
Me.  referable!  Whether  am  I  going? 
My  golden  fands  are  all  run  out  !  The 

fun 


1/4         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

fun  of  my  life  is  about  to  fet,  and,  utterly 
unprepared,  i  am  going  to  appear  before 
God.  Oh !  that  I  had  but  my  precious 
days  to  go  over  again  !  Eternal  God,  if 
thy  mercy  be  infinite,  exert  it  now  to  favc 
fuch  afelf-ruined  wretch  as  I  am  /" 

BUT  will  riches  better  ftand  the  tefi 
of  that  day's  trial  ?  Alas  !  they  who 
have  put  their  confidence  in  jlne  gold,  'will 
find  that  it  profits  not  in  the  day  of  wrath. 
When  death  lifts  his  arm,  and  fwift  as 
lightening,  difeafe  and  pain  enter  the 
heart,  vain  is  the  hoarded  treafure.  See 
that  generally  efteemed  happy  man  who 
trufted  in  riches,  ftretched  upon  the  bed 
of  languifning  ;  his  body  is  panting  for 
breath  ;  his  throat  is  parched  ;  his  heart 
flutters  ;  his  eyes  grow  dim  ;  and  life^ 
filver  cord  is  loofrng :  What  joy  now 
can  riches  bring  ?  Surround  his  dying 
bed  with  bags  of  gold,  will  they  allevi 
ate  the  pains  of  the  body,  purchafe  a 
moment's  refpite  from  death,  or  filerice 

the 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    175 

the  agonizing  remonftrances  of  eon- 
fcience  ?  Alas !  a  golden  God  is  but  a 
dumb  idol,  neither  able  to  kill  nor  make 
alive, 

THEN,  when  earth,  and  only  earth, 
hath  been  the  purfuit,  what  wretched- 
nefs  to  be  torn  from  all  that  was  count 
ed  happinefs  ;  to  leave  this  dear  world 

behind   them    forever,    to    go Ah ! 

Whither  ?  Not  to  treafures  laid  up  for 
them  in  heaven  ;  not  to  the  place  where 
they  have  made  themfehes  friends  of  the 
mammon  of  unrighteoufnefs ;  but  where 
that  rich  man  went  who  lift  up  his  eyes 
in  torment,  becaufe^  though  rich  in  this 
world)  he  was  not  rich  towards  God. 

Now,  this  is  the  boafted  happinefs  of 
numbers.  This  is  the  unutterable  plea- 
fure  of  dying  worth  fo  many  thoufand 
pounds. 

"  Guilt's  blunder,  and  the  loudeft  laugh  of  hell/* 

YOVNG. 

Nor 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

Nor  will  HONOR  and  FAME  render  our 
departure  at  all  more  comfortable. 

SEND  forth  your  imagination  to  view 
the  laft  fcene  of  the  greateft  and  proud- 
eft  man  who  ever  awed  and  governed 
the  world.  See  a  poor,  infirm,  mifer- 
able,  fhort-lived  creature,  that  paffes 
awray  like  a  fhadow,  and  is  haftening 
off  the  ftage  where  the  theatrical  titles 
and  diftinctions,  and  the  whole  mafk  of 
pride  which  he  has  worn  for  a  day, 
will  fall  off  and  leave  him  naked  as  a 
negle&ed  Have.  Behold  the  empty  va 
pour  difappearing !  One  of  the  arrows 
of  mortality  this  moment  flicks  faft 
within  him  :  See,  it  forces  out  his  life, 
and  freezes  his  blood  and  fpirits. 

APPROACH  his  bed  of  Jiatey — draw 
afide  the  curtain, — regard  a  moment 
with  filence. 

ARE  thefe  cold  hands  and  pale  lips 
all  that  are  left  of  him  who  was  canon 
ized 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    177 

ized  by  his  own  pride,  or  made  a  god 
of  by  his  flatterers  ? 

0  GOD  f  What  is  man  ?  Even  a  thing  of 
nought. 

ALAS  !  That  a  being  whofe  exiflence 
on  earth  is  but  for  a  moment,  and  whofe 
future  manfion  is  heaven  ;  a  being  whofe 
immortal  foul  carries  its  hopes  far  be 
yond  time,  and  extends  them  even  to 
eternity,  fhould  fet  his  mind  on  objefts 
which  time  deftroys !  What  is  this  but 
to  mi-flake  the  changeable  colours  of 
the  dew-drop  for  the  luflre  of  the  ruby, 
or  the  radiance  of  the  diamond  ? 

<c  LAT  not  up  for  yourf elves  treafures  on 
earth"  fays  the  divine  Teacher.  Long 
tolfed  by  tumultuous  paffions,  enrap 
tured  and  alarmed  with  hopes  and  fears, 
we  at  lafl  find  earth's  boafted  treafures 
to  be  vain  ;  its  riches,  honors,  and  plea- 
fures  utterly  infufficient  to  make  us  hap 
py.  Full  feldom  are  they  obtained  by 
the  anxious  candidate,  and  feldomer 

ftill 


178    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

ftill  without  much  pain  and  labour  ;  and 
after  all,  made  taftelefs  by  difeafe  or 
age,  or  embittered  by  vexation,  they 
are  held  but  a  few  feverifh  years,  and 
then  forgotten  forever  in  the  grave. 

**  LAT  net  up  for  yourf elves  treafures 
en  earth,  where  moth  and  ruft  do  corrupt^ 
and  where  thieves  break  through  andfteal ; 
but  lay  up  for  yourf elves  treafures  in  hea 
ven  ;  for  where  the  treafurv  is,  there  will 

the  heart  be  alfo." What  treafures  ? 

Why  love, — Love  to  God  and  to  our 
neighbour. 

THESE  are  the  true  treafures ;  the 
treafures  of  the  heart.  No  pleafures 
are  comparable  to  thofe  that  affeft  the 
heart ;  and  there  are  none  that  affeft  it 
with  fuch  exquifite  delight,  as  loving 
and  being  beloved  by  a  worthy  objeft. 
Alk  the  young,  Theodofius,  and  he  will 
tell  you,  that  the  moil  delicious  feelings 
his  heart  ever  experienced,  were  thofe 
of  virtuous  love  ;  and  that  he  never 

knew 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

knew  what  rapture  was  until  he  faw  the 
incomparable  Conftantia,  in  whofe  per- 
fon  and  manners  are  concentered  all  the 
charms  of  beauty,  and  all  the  graces  of 
virtue. 

Now,  if  love,  when  directed  to  a  crea 
ture,  can  open  fuch  a  heaven  in  our 
bofoms,  what  muft  it  do  when  dire&ed 
to  God,  the  eternal  fountain  of  all  per- 
feftion  and  goodnefs  ?  Would  you 
know  the  blefling  of  all  bleffings,  it  is 
this  love  dwelling  in  the  foul,  fweetening 
our  bitter,  lightening  our  dark,  enliven 
ing  our  fad,  and  filling  to  the  full  of 
joy  the  fouls  that  muft  ever  thirft  until 
they  come  to  this  great  fountain  of  all 
happinefs.  There  is  no  peace,  nor  ever 
can  be  for  the  foul  of  man,  but  in  the 
exercife  of  this  love  ;  for  as  love  is  the 
infinite  happinefs  that  created  man  ;  fo 
love  is  the  only  perfedlion  and  felicity 
man  ;  and  no  one  can  live  in  happi 
nefs,  but  as  he  livses  in  love.  Look  at 
% R  every 


l8o         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

every  pain  and  diforder  in  human  na 
ture,  you  will  find  it  to  be  nothing  elfe 
but  the  fpirit  of  the  creature  turned  from 
love  to  felfifhnefs  ;  and  thence,  in  courfe, 
to  anxiety,  fear,  covetoufnefs,  wrath, 
envy,  and  all  evil :  So  that  love  alone 
is,  and  only  can  be,  the  cure  of  every 
evil  ;  aiid  he  who  lives  in  love  is  rifen 
out  of  the  power  of  evil  into  the  free 
dom  and  joy  of  one  of  the  fpirits  of 
heaven.  All  wants  are  fatisfied,  all  dif- 
orders  of  nature  are  removed ;  no  life 
is  any  longer  a  burden  ;  every  day  is  a 
day  of  peace  ;  every  thing  is  a  fpring  of 
j'oy  to  him  who  breathes  the  fweet  gentle 
element  of  love. 

BUT  fome  men,  of  gloomy  and  me 
lancholic  humours,  will  alk,  Is  it  cer 
tain  that  God.  loves  mankind  ?  Sure 
ly  the  innumerable  favours  which  he  la- 
vifhe&  upon  us,  mufl  fet  hivS  love  be-, 
yond  all  doubt. 

To 


THE  IMMOkTAL  MENTOR.    l8l 

To  afk  whether  God  loves  mankind, 
is  indeed  to  afk  whether  he  is  good, 
which  is  the  fame  as  queftioning  his 
very  exiftence  ;  for  how  is  it  poffible  to 
conceive  a  God  without  goodirefs  ?  And, 
what  goodnefs  could  he  have  were  he 
to  hate  his  own  works,  and  to  dcfire 
the  mifery  of  his  creatures  ? 

A  GOOD  prince  loves  his  fubjefts ;  a 
good  father  loves  his  children :  We 
love  even  the  tree  we  have  planted ; 
the  houfe  we  have  built ;  and  is  it  pof 
fible  for  God  not  to  love  mankind  ? 
Where  can  fuch  a  fufpicion  rife,  except 
in  the  minds  of  thofe  who  form  a  ca 
pricious  and  barbarous  being  of  God ; 
a  being  who  makes  a  cruel  fport  of  the 
fate  of  mankind ;  a  being  who  deftines 
them,  before  they  are  born,  to  hell,  re- 
ferving  to  himfelf  one,  at  moft,  in  a 
million,  and  that  one  no  more  meriting 
that  preference,  than  the  others  have 
deferred  their  damnation  ?  Impious  blaf- 

phemersx 


1 82         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

phemers,  who  endeavour  to  give  me  an 
averfion  to  God,  by  perfuading  me  that 
I  am  the  objeft  of  his  averfion ! 

You  will  fay,  he  owes  nothing  to  man  ; 
well,  but  he  owes  fomething  to  him' 
felf;  he  muft  neceffarily  be  juft  and 
beneficent.  If  a  virtuous  heathen  could 
declare  that  he  had  much  rather  it 
(hould  never  be  faid  that  there  was  fuch 
a  man  as  Plutarch,  than  that  he  was 
cruel  and  revengeful,  how  muft  the  Fa 
ther  of  mercies  be  difpleafed  to  find  him- 
felf  charged  with  fuch  hateful  qualities  ? 

BESIDES,  I  know  he  loves  me,  by 
the  very  love  I  feel  for  him ;  it  is  be- 
caufe  he  loves  me  that  he  has  engraved 
on  my  heart  this  fentiment,  the  moil 
precious  of  all  his  gifts.  His  love  is 
the  fource  of  mine,  as  it  ought  to  be, 
indeed,  a  motive  to  it. 

GIVE  me  leave,  in  order  to  convey 
an  idea  of  the  love  of  God,  to  defcribe 
the  paflion  of  a  virtuous  lover  for  his 

miflrefs 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   183 

miftrefs.  The  comparifon  in  itfelf  has 
nothing  indecent.  Love  is  a  vice  only 
in  vicious  hearts.  Fire,  though  the 
pureft  of  all  fubftances,  will  yet  emit 
unwholefome  and  noxious  vapours  when 
it  is  fed  by  tainted  matter ;  fo  love,  if 
it  grow  in  a  vicious  mind,  produces  no 
thing  but  ihameful  defires  and  criminal 
defigns,  and  is  followed  with  fear,  vex 
ation  and  mifery.  But  let  it  rife  in  an 
upright  heart,  and  be  kindled  by  an 
object  adorned  with  virtue  as  well  as 
beauty,  it  is  fafe  from  cenfure ;  far 
from  being  offended,  God  gives  it  his 
approbation.  He  has  made  amiable  ob- 
jefts  only  that  they  might  be  loved. 

Now  let  us  fee  what  pafles  in  the 
heart  of  a  perfon  deeply  fmitten  with 
love.  He  thinks  with  delight  of  the 
perfon  beloved ;  he  hurries  with  impe- 
tuofity  towards  the  charming  object, 
and  whatever  keeps  or  removes  him 
from  her  is  tormenting ;  he  is  afraid  of 
R  2  giving 


184    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

giving  her  any  difpleafure  ;  he  inquires 
into  her  tafle  and  inclinations,  in  order 
to  comply  with  and  gratify  them ;  he 
likes  to  hear  her  commended ;  talks  of 
her  with  fatisfa&ion,  and  carefles  every 
thing  that  renews  the  agreeable  idea. 

IT  is  a  miftake  to  think  that  there  is 
an  eflential  difference  between  this  and 
divine  love.  We  have  but  one  way  of 
loving  :  Men  love  God  and  their  friends 
in  the  fame  manner  ;  and  thefe  affec 
tions  differ  only  in  the  diverfity  of  their 
objefts  and  ends.  Thus  a  pious  man 
filled  with  fentiments  towards  God,  like 
thofe  of  a  virtuous  lover,  would  be 
glad  to  behold  him,  and  to  be  united 
to  him ;  he  thinks  of  him  with  delight, 
and  fpeaks  of  him  with  reverence  ;  he 
rejoices  to  fee  him  honored,  and  is  hap 
py  to  hear  him  praifed ;  he  meditates 
on  his  laws  with  pleafure,  and  obeys 
them  with  alacrity. 

THAT 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          185 

THAT  this  love  by  which  a  pious 
mind  is  united  to  its  Creator,  is  a  fource 
of  the  pureft  pleafures,  we  now  proceed 
to  fhew,  not  folely  on  the  authorities  of 
fcripture,  but  by  the  force  of  reafon 
and  common  fenfe. 

THE  man  who  loves  God,  enjoys 
that  firft  of  felicities,  the  confcioufnefs  of 
having  placed  his  affeftions  on  the  only 
objeft  in  the  univerfe  that  truly  defer ves 
them.  Our  love  is  the  moft  precious 
thing  we  poflefs ;  it  is  indeed  the  only 
thing  we  can  properly  call  our  own,  and 
therefore  to  beftow  it  unworthily,  is  the 
greateft  (hame  and  foreft  miftake  that 
we  can  ever  commit.  A  man  muft 
needs  be  infinitely  mortified  and  troub 
led,  when  he  finds  that  the  objed  of 
his  love  poffefles  not  that  excellence 
which  he  fondly  expe&ed  would  fatisfy 
his  wi flies  and  make  him  completely 
happy.  Alas!  What  is  a  little  fkin 
eep  beauty,  a  few  flafhes  of  wit,  or 

fome 


1 86       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

fome  fmall  degrees  of  goodnefs  ?  We 
foon  fee  to  the  bottom  of  fuch  fhallow 
goods,  and  confequently  mufl  experi 
ence  a  decay  of  that  admiration  and 
affeftion  which  conftitutes  happinefs  in 
the  firfl  degree.  But  to  no  fuch  mor 
tifying  difappointment  is  he  liable,  who 
dire&s  his  love  to  God.  In  him  the 
enlightened  eye  of  true  philofophy  dif- 
covers  fo  much  of  all  that  is  great  and 
good,  as  to  keep  the  happy  mind  in  an 
eternal  extacy  of  admiration  and  love. 

DIVINE  love  advances  the  happinefs 
of  man,  becaufe  it  tends,  above  all  other 
attachments,  to  refine  and  ennoble  his 
nature.  The  moft  inattentive  mufl  have 
obferved,  that  love  has  a  furprizing 
force  to  give  our  manners  a  refemblance 
to  thofe  of  the  perfon  we  love.  Seen 
through  the  eyes  of  a  tender  affection, 
even  blemifhes  appear  like  beauties,  and 
heaven  born  virtue  puts  on  charms  more 
than  human.  No  wonder  then  that  we 

fo 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   187 

fo  eafily  adopt  the  fentiments,  and  imi 
tate  the  manners  of  thofe  we  love.  This 
is  a  conduct  fo  natural  and  common, 
that  to  tell  the  character  of  any  man,, 
we  need  but  be  told  that  of  the  per- 
fon  he  loves. 

HENCE,  the  anxious  parent  rejoices 
to  fee  his  child  fond  of  the  fociety  of 
the  virtuous  and  wife  :  he  knows  that 
fuch  an  attachment  indicates  a  relifh  for 
virtue,  and  promifes  an  honourable  and 
happy  event :  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
he  deplores  his  attachment  to  the  vain 
and  vicious,  as  a  fad,  but  certain  pre- 
fage  of  folly  and  depravity, 

CERTAINLY  then,  in  order  to  be  hap- 
py,  it  moft  nearly  concerns  us  to  direft 
our  love  to  the  proper  objeft.  But  who, 
or  what  is  that  objeft  ?  The  creatures 
all  have  their  imperfe&ions.  They  are 
all  utterly  unworthy,  and  beneath  the 
fupreme  love  of  an  immortal  mind. 
And  to  love  thefe  in  the  extreme,  is 

infinitely 


r88       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

infinitely  to  demean  ourfelves,  to  dif- 
grace  our  underftandings,  to  contract 
low  earthly  paffions,  and  confequently 
to  make  ourfelves  miferable.  Would 
we  do  honour  to  our  reafon,  would  we 
dignify  our  affections,  ennoble  our  na 
ture,  and  rife  to  true  happinefs,  let  us 
give  our  hearts  to  God.  The  man  who 
loves  God  is  animated  with  an  ambi 
tion  becoming  the  dignity  of  his  birth ; 
he  is  infpired  with  a  greatnefs  of  foul 
that  fpurns  all  grovelling  pafilons  and 
bafe  defigns.  The  love  which  he  has 
for  God  impelk  him,  by  a  fweet  and 
powerful  influence,  to  imitate  his  all 
lovely  and  adorable  perfections,  and 
confequently  renders  him  every  day  a 
more  divine  and  heavenly  creature. 

GOD  is  the  only  worthy  objedt  of  our 
love,  becaufe  he  is  the  only  one  who 
will  certainly  and  generoufly  reward  it. 
Love,  as  we  have  obferved,  was  defign- 
ed  to  be  the  fpring  of  joy,  but,  alas ! 

when 


THE  IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        189 

when  placed  on  the  creature,  it  often 
proves  a  fource  of  forrow,  becaufe  it 
is  too  often  treated  'with  ingratitude  and 
neglect.  The  lover  in  giving  his  heart, 
gives  his  all ;  and,  if  after  fo  great  a  fa- 
crifice,  he  cannot  obtain  the  fond  re 
turn  he  coveted,  what  can  be  expected 
but  that  he  fhould  ficken  with  grief,  and 
fmk  under  an  oppreffive  load  of  melan 
choly  ?  But  though  our  fellow  worms 
fhould  reje£t  our  love  with  difdain,  yet 
it  is  always — O  !  adorable  goodnefs  1  it 
is  always  acceptable  to  God,  Amidfl 
the  adorations  of  millions  of  glorious 
atigels,  he  gracioufly  obferves  the  atten 
tions  we  pay  him,  and  receives  with 
complacency  oul*  fmalleft  tribute  of  af- 
feftion.  He  knows  that  the  fouls  which 
he  has  made  cannot  be  happy  until  they 
return  to  him.  Uhceafingly  he  calls 
to  them — 

"  SEEK  ye   my  face"     And   if,  con 
vinced  by  a  thoufand  difapppintments, 

of 


190   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

of  the  vanity  of  all  other  loves,  we 
fhould  at  length,  happily  take  up  our 
refolution  and  fay,  "  Thy  face ,  0  God, 
we  willfeek."  Immediately  his  prevent 
ing  love  meets  us  more  than  half  way ; 
the  harps  of  Heaven  fwell  with  louder 
{trains  of  joy,  and  fongs  of  congratula 
tion  fill  the  eternal  regions. 

DIVINE  love  infinitely  exceeds  in 
point  of  true  happinefs,  all  other  attach 
ments,  becaufe,  it  does  not,  like  them, 
expofe  us  to  the  pangs  of  feparation. 
If  that  fweet  paffion,  which,  with  chains 
dearer  than  thofe  of  gold,  unites  earth 
ly  lovers,  were  never  to  be  diflfolved,  it 
would  be  well :  But,  alas  !  this  is  a  fe 
licity  which  Heaven  has  not  thought 
fit  to  confer  on  erring  mortals.  The 
iron  hand  of  neceffity  or  duty  often  tears 
us  away  from  our  deareft  friends,  and 
configns  us  to  wearifome  months  of 
mutual  fears  and  reftlefs  longings  for 
re-union.  Sometimes,  in  the  happieft 

moments 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        19! 

moments  of  friendfhip,  the  thought  of 
death  occurs  and  throws  a  fudden  damp 
on  our  rifmg  joys.  Sometimes  it  is  our 
lot  to  fit  by  the  fick  beds  of  thofe  we 
love,  and  hear  their  piercing  moans,  to 
mark,  with  unutterable  anguifh,  the 
faultering  fpeech  and  finking  eye,  or 
wipe  the  cold  damps  of  death  from  thofe 
cheeks  which  we  have  kifled  a  thoufand 
times.  Such  fcenes  and  feparations, 
and  all  mortal  loves  are  liable  to  fuch, 
occafion  a  grief  not  to  be  equalled  by 
all  the  misfortunes  of  life,  and  make  us; 
dearly  pay  for  all  the  paft  pleafures  of 
friendfhip. 

IN  thefe  melancholy  moments  we  are 
made  to  feel  how  truly  bleffed  are  they 
who  have  made  the  eternal  God  their 
love,  nothing  can  ever  feparate  them 
-from  him.  When  the  fairefl  of  the 
human  fair  are  gone  down  into  the 
duft,  and  have  left  their  lovers  to  mourn 
ing  and  woe.  Nay,  when  after  millions 
s  of 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

of  revolving  years,  the  fun  is  extin- 
guifhed  in  the  ikies,  and  the  lamps  of 
heaven  have  loft  their  golden  flames ; 
when  old  time  himfelf  is  worn  away, 
and  nature  funk  under  the  weight  of 
years  ;  even  then  the  God  Jehovah  will 
be  the  fame,  and  his  days  (hall  never 
fail.  Even  then  fhall  his  triumphant 
lovers  behold  his  glorious  face  cloathed 
in  eternal  beauty,  and  fhall  drink  of 
the  rivers  of  pleafure  that  flow  at  his 
right-hand  forevermore.  Neither  will 
the  lovers  of  God  ever  experience,  even 
in  this  wdrld,  the  pangs  of  feparation 
from  him,  while  they  walk  firmly  in 
the  golden  path  of  duty.  Should  they 
be  driven  from  their  homes,  and  oblig 
ed  to  forfake  their  deareft  friends  ; 
fhould  they  be  compelled  to  plough  dif- 
tant  feas,  or  to  toil  in  the  remoteft  re 
gions  of  the  earth ;  even  there  they 
will  fweetly  feel  that 

"  They  cannot   go    where  univerfal  love   reigns   n»t 
"  around."  THOMPSON. 

Eren 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          193 

Even  there  they  meet  and  rejoice  in  their 
ever  prefent  friend ;  with  facred  plea- 
fure  they  inhale  his  breath  in  the  fra 
grant  gale,  they  mark  his  pencil  adorn 
ing  the  fields  and  meadows  in  their 
flowery  pride  ;  or  with  fublimeft  awe, 
they  behold  his  hand  fweiling  the  ever- 
lading  mountains,  or, 

"  Hanging  the  vaft  expanfe  in  azure  bright,  and  cloath- 
"  ing  the  fun  in  gold/' 

YOUNG. 

HENCE  it  is,  that  the  man  who  loves 
God  is  feldom  lonefome,  feldom  knows 
what  it  is  to  want  agreeable  company. 
A  great  addition  this  to  our  happinefs  ! 
For  as  man  is  by  nature  a  focial  .being, 
he  muft  be  miferable  unlefs  he  has  fome 
beloved  friend  to  converfe  with.  But, 
as  thofe  who  do  not  love  God,  take 
little  or  no  delight  in  converfing  with 
him,  they  become  more  dependent  on 
the  company  and  converfation  of  their 
earthly  friends.  And,  when  deflitute 

of 


194         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

of  thefe,  they  are  often  found,  though 
in  palaces,  to  be  reftlefs  and  wretched. 
OH  !  how  difconfolate  is  the  condi 
tion  of  the  man,  who,  though  always 
prefent  with  his  maker,  yet  finds  no  joy 
nor  fatisfadion  in  his  prefence  !  Though 
every  particle  of  matter  is  a£luated  by 
this  almighty  being ;  though  nature, 
through  all  her  works,  proclaims  his 
"wifdom,  power,  and  goodnefs,  unutter 
able  ;  yet  the  man  who  is  a  firanger  to 
divine  love,  views  all  this  wonderful 
fcenery 

"  With  a  brute  unconfcious  gaze." THOMPSON. 

HE  taftes  none  of  that  facred  joy 
which  thefe  things  were  meant  to  in- 
fpire.  The  divinity  is  with  him  and  in 
him,  and  every  where  about  him,  but 
is  of  no  advantage  to  him.  It  is  in 
fa£l  the  fame  thing  to  him  as  if  there 
were  no  God  in  the  world. 

HAPPILY  different  is  the  condition  of 
the  man  who  loves  the  great  author  of 

his 


TH£  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    195 

his  being !  When  that  divine  paffion, 
(the  foul's  true  light)  is  fet  up  in  our 
hearts,  the  fcales  of  blindnefs  fall"  from 
pur  eyes,  the  fhades  of  night  fly  far  away, 
and  God,  the  blefled  God,  ftands  con- 
feffed  before  our  admiring  view.  Tho* 
we  cannot  behold  him  with  the  eyes  of 
fenfe,  yet,  we  can  feel  his  prefence,  we 
can  tafte  and  fee  his  adorable  perfections 
which  fhine  fo  brightly  on  all  his  glo 
rious  works. 

WHEN  we  confider  the  infinite  hofl 
of  ftars  wrhicK  adorn  the  evening  fkies  ; 
when,  enlarging  the  idea,  we  con 
template  another  heaven  of  funs  and 
worlds  rifmg  dill  higher,  and  thefe  again 
enlightened  by  a  ftill  fuperior  firmament 
of  luminaries,  overwhelmed  by  fuch  an 
irnmenfity  of  profpect,  we  fcarcely 
breathe  out — "  Eternal  God!  what  is 
man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him,  or  the 
Son  of  Man  that  thou  regardeft  him  /" 
s  2  • 


1^6         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

WHEN,  leaving  thefe  amazing 
we  contemplate  other  parts  of  the  divine 
dominions  ;  when  we  walk  through  the 
fields  and  obferve  his  wondrous  work- 
manfhip  in  the  touring  trees  or  humbler 
ihrubs  j  in  the  gentle  rill  or  majeftic 
flood  ;  in  the  birds  winging  their  airy 
flight,  or  perched  on  branches  warb 
ling  their  melodious  lays  ;  in  the  peace 
ful  flocks  grazing  their  fnnple  paftures 
with  herds  of  nobler  cattle ;  or,  in  the 
fwarms  of  gilded  infefls  that,  with  ceafe- 
lefs  buzz,  and  vigorous  motion,  pre- 
fent  their  golden  wings  to  the  fun.  In 
thefe,  in  all  his  infinitely  varied  crea 
tures,  we  fee,  we  admire,  we  adore  the 
great  creator. 

THE  man  whom  love  has  thus  taught 
to  correfpond  with  God,  enjoys  the  moft 
Delightful  and  improving  fociety.  In 
the  deeped  folitude  where  others  are  de- 
preffed,  he  is  happy,  becaufe  he  knows 
that  he  is  with  the  greateft  and  beft  of 

beings  5 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    197 

beings  :  and  when  his  earthly  friends 
have  withdrawn  their  agreeable  com 
pany,  he  returns  with  ftill  fuperior  plea- 
fure  to  that  of  his  heavenly, 

DIVINE  love  adds  greatly  to  our  hap- 
pinefs,  becaufe  it  difpofes  us  to  rejoice 
in  every  thing  that  feems  connefted  with 
the  honor  of  God.  His  Sabbath,  his 
houfe,  &c.  become  objects  of  our  mofl 
hearty  love  and  delight. 

WE  live  in  a  country,  where  one  day 
in  every  week  is  fefc  apart  for  the  public 
worfhip  of  God.  To  the  man  who  loves 
not  his  maker,  this  difpofition  ef  the 
feventh  day  is  not  very  likely  to  be  pleaf- 
ing.  As  he  is  not  a  religious  man,  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  he  is  a  man  of 
the  world,  a  man  of  bufmefs  or  pleafure  ; 
and  in  either  cafe  the  Sabbath  mufl  be 
unwelcome,  as  it  is  an  interruption,  and 
indeed  a  clear  lofs  of  one  day's  pleafure 
or  profit  in  every  week.  A  lofs?  which 

the  courfe  of  years  muft  grow  to  be 

very 


198       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

very  ferious :  For,  if  we  take  fifty, 
(the  number  of  taflelefs  and  unprofit 
able  Sabbaths  in  the  year,)  and  multi 
ply  thofe  by  feventy,  (the  years  in  a  ve 
teran's  life)  we  fliall  find  that  it  will 
amount  to  eight  or  ten  years.  Now, 
out  of  fo  fhort  a  life  as  threefcore  and 
ten,  to  be  obliged  to  fpend  eight  or  ten 
years  in  lounging,  moping,  tirefome 
Sabbaths,  muft  appear  to  men  who  have 
their  interefts  and  pleafures  at  heart, 
a  heavy  tax,  a  great  drawback.  Sure 
ly  fuch  men  would  give  their  thanks  ; 
nay,  I  fuppofe,  would  chearfully  vote 
the  thanks  of  all  chriilendom  to  him, 
who  fhould  put  them  in  the  way  to 
make  the  Sabbath  the  mofl  agreeable 
day  in  the  week.  Let  us  love  God,  and 
the  work  is  done.  We  fliall  then  rejoice 
that  there  is  fuch  a  day,  becaufe  our 
hearts  will  then  approve  the  purpofes 
for  which  k  was  appointed.  A  day 
that  is  taken  from  the  cares  of  a  fhort 

life, 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    199 

life,  and  laid  out  on  the  interefls  of 
eternity.  A  day  that  is  fpent  in  con- 
fidering  our  obligations  to  God,  in 
thanking  him  for  his  favours,  confeffing 
our  unworthinefs,  and  imploring  his 
forgivenefs  ;  in  fhort,  a  day  fpent  in  a 
way  fo  admirably  adapted  to  inftru£t 
the  ignorant,  to  reclaim  the  bad,  to 
ftrengthen  the  good,  to  honour  God, 
and  to  make  ourfelves  happy;  fuch  a 
day  muft,  to  him  who  loves  God  and 
man,  be  the  moft  joyful  day  of  the 
whole  week. 

ON  this  account  too,  the  man  who 
loves  God,  will  fee  a  church  in  quite 
another  light,  and  with  fentiments  hap 
pily  different  from  thofe  of  the  man 
who  loves  him  not.  To  the  latter, 
prayers,  pfalms  and  fermons,  have  al 
ways  been  wearifome  ;  and,  as  it  is  in 
the  church  that  he  has  been  accuftom- 
ed  to  do  fuch  penance,  he  infenfibly 
contrafts  a  diflike  to  it,  and  conies  at 

faft 


200         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

laft  to  view  it  with  fentiments  fuch  as 
thofe  with  which  an  idle  boy  regards 
his  fchool-houfe. 

BUT  the  pious  man,  confidering  the 
church  as  the  place  where  people  meet 
to  honor  the  God  whom  he  delights  to 
honor,  to  learn  and  love  that  goodnefs 
which  he  fees  to  be  fo  effential  to  the 
happinefs  of  the  world,  fuch  a  man  re 
gards  the  church  as  the  moft  beautiful 
and  lovely  building  in  the  world ;  and 
the  view  of  it  gives  him  a  more  fincere 
pleafure  than  that  which  others  feel  in 
viewing  the  places  of  their  moft  favour 
ite  amufement. 

.  "  How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles ,  0 
Cod  of  hafts  ;  how  pleafant  is  the  place 
where  thine  honor  dwellcth  /" 

BUT  if  gratitude,  when  exerted  from 
man  to  man,  produces  fo  much  plea 
fure,  it  muil  exalt  the  foul  to  rapture, 
when  it  is  employed  on  this  great  objeft 
of  gratitude,  on  this  infinitely  benefi 
cent 


THE  IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        2OI 

cent  being,  who  has  given  us  every  thing 
we  already  poffefs,  and  from  whom  we 
expeft  every  thing  we  yet  hope  for. 
When  a  good  man  looks  around  him 
on  this  vaft  world,  where  beauty  and 
goodnefs  are  reflected  from  every  ob- 
je£t,  and  where  he  beholds  millions  of 
creatures  in  their  different  ranks,  en 
joying  the  bleffings  of  exiflence,  he 
looks  up  to  the  univerfal  Father,  and 
his  heart  glows  within  him.  And  in 
every  comfort  which  fweetens  his  own 
life,  he  difcerns  the  fame  indulgent 
hand.  Is  he  bleft  with  tender  parents, 
or  with  generous  friends  who  prefs  him 
with  their  kindnefs  ?  Is  he  happy  in 
his  family  rifmg  around  him,  in  the 
wife  who  loves  him,  or  in  the  children 
who  give  him  comfort  and  joy  ?  fri 
all  thefe  pleafing  enjoyments,  in  all 
thefe  beloved  obje&s  he  recognizes  the 
Hand  of  God.  Every  fmile  of  love, 
every  aft  of  tendernefs  is  an  effect  of 

his 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

his  goodnefs.  By  him  was  kindled  every 
fpark  of  friendfhip  that  ever  glowed  on 
earth,  and  therefore  to  him  it  juftly 
returns  laden  with  the  pureft  incenfe 
of  gratitude.  Has  God  prepared  a  table 
for  him,  and  caufed  his  cup  to  over 
flow  ?  Inftead  of  afcribing  it  to  the 
policy  of  his  own  councils,  or  to  the 
ftrength  of  his  own  arm,  he  gives  the 
praife  to  him  alone,  who  ftrews  the 
earth  with  good  things  for  man,  and 
teaches  him  wifdom  to  improve  and 
convert  them  to  his  own  ufe. 

THUS  it  is  that  gratitude  prepares  a 
good  man  for  the  enjoyment  of  profperi- 
ty ;  for  not  only  has  he  as  full  a  relHh  as 
Others  of  the  innocent  pleafures  of  life, 
but,  moreover,  in  thefe  he  holds  commu 
nion  with  God.  In  all  that  is  good  or 
fair,  he  traces  his  hand.  From  the  beau 
ties  of  nature,  from  the  improvements  of 
art,  from  the  bleffings  of  public  or  pri 
vate  life,  he  raifes  his  affe&ions  to  the 

great 


THE   IMMORTAL    M£NTO&.       £03 

great  fountain  of  all  the  happinefs  which 
furrounds  him,,  and  thus  widens  the 
fphere  of  his  enjoyments,  by  adding  to 
the  pleafures  of  fenfe,  the  far  more  ex- 
quifite  joys  of  the  heart* 

BUT  divine  love  adds  greatly  to  our 
happinefs,  stot  only  by  giving  a  frefh 
flavour  to  the  fweets  of  profperity ;  but 
by  correcting  in  an  eminent  degree,  the 
bitternefs  of  adverftty* 

As  in  times  of  pfofperity,  among 
perhaps  a  few  real  friends,  many  pre* 
tended  ones  intrude  themfelves,  who  in 
the  hour  of  diffoefs  are  qukkly  difperf* 
ed  and  know  us  no  more;  fo  in  thofc 
times  alfo,  many  falfe  and  pretend-^ 
ed  joys  court  the  affedions  and  gain 
the  heart  of  inconfiderate  man.  But, 
when  calamity  comes,  thofe  vain  joys 
immediately  difcover  their  deceitful 
nature,  defert  the  aftonifhed  man  in 
liis  great  eft  need,  and  leave  him  a 
prey  to  fhame,  forrow  and  remorfe. 
T  Adverfity 


204  T*i£  IMMORTAL  MENTOR* 

Adveriity  is  the  grand  teft  of  what  is 
true  and  what  is  falfe  among  the  differ* 
ent  objefts  of  our  choice  ;  and  our  love 
of  God,  tried  by  this  teft  will  foon  dif- 
cover  its  infinite  value  and  excellence, 
Perfons  of  every  character  are  liable  to 
diftrefs.  The  man  Xvho  loveth  God  * 
and  he  who  loveth  him  not,,  is  expofed 
to  the  ftroke  of  adverfity*  But  on  the 
bad  man,  adveffity  falls  with  double 
weight,  becaufe  it  finds  them  without 
defence  and  without  refource-  When 
his  health,  his  riches  and  pleafures,  in 
which  he  placed  his  happiiiefs^  are  all 
torn  from  him,,  overwhelmed  with  fad- 
nefs  and  defpair^  he  knows  not  whether 
to  turn  for  relief.  If,  as  is  inoft  natur 
al  for  a  creature  in  diftrefs,  he  lifts  his 
fupplicating  eyes  to  his  maker,  confci- 
ous  ingratitude  and  difobedience  to  God* 
immediately  check  him  :  if  he  turn  to 
his  fellow-men,  whom  he  has  abufed  or 
neglefted,  confcioufnefs  of  meriting  their 

contempt 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    205 

contempt  or  averfion,  difcourages  him. 
If  he  feeks  relief  in  his  own  mind,  there, 
fhame,  remorfe  and  felf-condemnation, 
mufl  overwhelm  him, 

BUT  to  the  man  whpfe  foul  rejoices 
in  his  God,  adverfity  has  nothing 
gloomy  and  terrible.  Believing  every 
thing  in  the  world  to  be  under  the  sd- 
miniftration  of  God,  and, looking  up  to 
that  God,  as  to  an  all-wife  and  benevolent 
father  tod  friend,  he  welcomes  every 
thing  that  comes  from  him.  Perfuaded 
that  the  Father  of  Mercies,  delighteth 
not  needlefsly  to  grieve  the  children  of 
men ;  and  well  knowing  that  he  fore- 
faw  this  impending  affliction,  and  could 
eafily  have  prevented  it :  he  concludes3 
that,  fmce  it  is  .come,  it  is  come  on 
fome  errend  of  love. 

"  Since  all  the  downward  tra&  of  time, 

God's  watchful  eye  furveys/ 
O  who  fo  wife  to  chufe  our  lot, 

To  regulate  our  ways ! 

Since 


206   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

Since  noae  can  doubt  his  equal  love r 

Unmeafurably  kind, 
To  his  unerring  gracious  wilt, 

Be  erery  wifh  refign'd. 

Good,  when  he  gives,  fupremely  good, 

Nor  lefs  when  he  denies, 
E'en  trojes  from  his  fovereign  hand, 

Are  blejjlngs—\n  dijguife" 

O  the  fweetly  powerful  influences  of  love! 
Love  can  enable  the  fugar-doating  child 
cheerfully  to  take  the  cup  of  wormwood^ 
from  the  hand  of  the  parent  whom  he 
loves.  Love  can  caufe  the  delicate  wo* 
man  to  forget  better  days,  and  to  fmile 
in  poverty  and  toil  with  the  hufband 
whom  fhe  loves.  Aye,  and  if  we  loved 
God  as  we  ought,  none  of  his  dealings 
would  feem  grievous  to  us.  The  very 
idea,  that  this  or  that  affliction  was 
brought  on  us  by  him,  would  fweetly 
reconcile  us  to  it,  and  kindle  in  us  a  di 
vine  ambition  to  pleafe  him  by  the 
cheerfulnefs  of  our  fubmiffion.  Afflic 
tions  we  ihould  look  on  not  as  mark,s  of 

God's 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR*   207 

God's  difpleafure,   but  as  certain   evir 
dences  of  his  love — 

"  As  many  as  I  love,  I  chaftife."— JEHOVA^. 

cc  I  HATE  f mitt  en  you  with  blajling  and 
mildew,  your  vineyards  .and  your  Jig  trees 
did  the  palmer  worm  devour.  "-^-JEHOVAH. 

AND  then  the  love  that  did  this3 
makes  this  complaint,  "  Tet  ye  hav? 
not  returned  to  me." 

"  PESTILENCE  have  1 fent  amongst  you  ; 
I  have  made  the  fmell  of  your  dead  to  came 
up  even  in  your  noftrils" 

AND  then  the  fame  love  that  infli&ed 
this  wholefome  chaftifement  repeata  the 
complaint,  O  my  brethren,  fee  here 
the  defign  and  end  of  all  God's  chaf- 
tifements  !  M  Tet  have  ye  not  returned  to 


me." 


TH.ESE  are  the  viev/s  in  \vhich  the  di« 
vine  lover  is  taught  to  contemplate  the 
affii&ive  difpenfations  of  his  God ;  not 
as  the  meffengers  of  his  wrath,  but  as 
the  minifters  of  his  mercy,  and  the  great 
T  2  means 


208       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR, 

means  of  wifdom  and  virtue.  Such 
views  of  God's  adorable  government, 
impart  the  mofl  fenfible  confolation  to 
every  pious  heart.  They  place  the  com- 
paffions  of  the  univerfal  Father,  in  the 
jnoft  endearing  light.  And  thefe  afflic- 
lions,  which  human  follies  render  necef- 
fary  ;  inftead  of  eftranging,  do  but  the 
more  clofely  attach  a  good  man  to  his 
God*  <c  Although  the  jig  tree  Jhall  not 
bloffbm,  neither  Jhall  fruit  be  in  the  vine  ; 
the  labour  of  the  olive  Jhall  fail,  and  the 
fields  Jhall  yield  no  meat:  yea,  though  the 
flock  Jhall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and 
there  Jhall  be  no  herd  in  the  Jtalls  ;  yet^s 
will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  1  will  joy  in  the 
God  of  my  fafoation*" 

BUT  a  fupreme  love  of  God  adds 
unfpeakably  to  the  happinefs  of  life, 
becaufe  it  raifes  us  fuperior  to  the  dread 
of  death.  To  form  a  tolerable  idea  of 
the  magnitude  of  tfiis  bleffing,  let  us 
vifit  the  death  bed  of  him  who  is  about 

to 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENT6R.    209 

to  depart   without  love  or  hope  in  his 
God, 

BEHOLD  him  arrefted  by  the  ftrong 
arm  of  death,  and  ftretched  out  hope- 
fefs  and  defpairing  on  that  lafi  bed  from 
which  he  is  to  rife  no  more.  Art  has 
done  its  all ;  the  mortal  malady  mocks 
the  power  of  medicine,  and  haftens  with 
refiftlefs  impetuofity  to  execute  its  dread 
ful  errand.  See  the  thick  gloom  that 
covers  his  ghaftly  countenance,  and  the 
wildnefs  and  horror  that  glare  on  his 
rolling  eye-balls  !  Whither  now  is  fled 
that  giddy  thoughtleflhefs  which  mark 
ed  his  mad  career  through  life  ?  Where 
now  are  his  feoffs,  his  fneers,  his  plea- 
fantries  on  religion  ?  Where  are  his 
boon  companions  who  joined  him  in  his 
dull  profanity,  and  who  applauded  the 
keenefs  of  his  fatire  and  the  brilliancy 
of  his  wit  ?  Alas  !  fuch  fcenes  as  thefe 
are  not  for  them..  To  cheer  the  droop 
ing  fpirits  of  wretchednefs,  and  to  ad- 

minifter 


210         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

minifter  confolation  to  a  dying  friend  is 
no  employment  of  theirs.  In  far  dif 
ferent  fcenes  they  are  now  forgetting 
their  no  longer  entertaining  friend,  and 
their  prefent  alarming  thoughts. 

UNHAPPY  Man  !  wherever  he  turns 
his  eyes,  he  fees  none  but  fubje&s  of 
forrow  and  diflrefs.  Forfaken  by  thofe 
whom  he  fondly  called  his  friends  ;  cut 
off  from  all  the  pleafures  and  cheerful 
purfuits  of  men,  abandoned  to  the  hor 
rors  of  a  dying  chamber,  with  no  fen- 
fa  tions  but  thofe  of  a  tortured  body ; 
no  comforter  but  a  guilty  confcience9 
and  no  fociety  but  fuch  as  fills  his 
troubled  mind  with  fhame  and  remorfe  ; 
a  weeping  wife  whom  he  has  injured ; 
children  whofe  bed  interefts  he  has  ne- 
glefted ;  fervants  whom  he  has  treated 
with  cruelty;  and  neighbours  with  whom 
he  has  long  lived  at  fnameful  variance — 
Whither  fliall  he  look  for  help  ?  If  he 
look  backward  he  fees  nothing  but  fcenes 

of 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

of  horror,  a  precious  life  mifpent,  an 
immortal  foul  negle&ed  ;  and,  O  infup- 
portable  thought !  his  day  of  trial  about 
to  fet  forever.  If  he  looks  forward,  he 
fees  an  offended  God,  a  fearful  reckon 
ing,  and  an  awful  eternity.  If  he  looks 
up  to  Heaven  for  mercy,  confcious  guilt 
deprefies  his  fpirits  and  overwhelms  him 
with  defpair.  Ah  !  what  mortal  fcene 
can  well  be  conceived  more  fraught 
with  wretchednefs !  Shuddering,  he 
ftands  upon  the  dreadful  brink,  afraid 
to  die,  and  yet,  alas  !  unable  to  live. 

"  IN  that  dread  moment^  how  the  fran 
tic  foul  raves  round  the  walls  of  her  clay 
tenement  ;  runs  to  each  avenue  andfnrieks 
for  helpi  but  Jhrieks  in  vain :  how  wijh- 
fully  Jhe  looks    on  all  Jhe's  leaving,    now 
no  longer  hers  !  a  little  longer •,  yet  a  little 
longer:  0  /  might  Jhe  Jtay  to  wajh  away 
her  crimes,  and  Jit  her  for  her  faffage  ! 
Mournful  fight !  her  very  eyes  weep  blood  ; 
and  every  groan  Jhe  heaves  is  big  with  bor- 

ror ; 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR, 

ror  ;  but  the  foe ',  like  a  Jlaunch  murderer^ 
Jleady  to  his  purpofe,  purfues  her  clofe 
through  every  lane  of  llfe^  nor  miffes  once 
the  track,  but  prejjes  en,  till  forced  at  lajl 
to  the  tremendous  verge — at  once  Jhe -Jinks" 

BJLAIR. 

THIS,  or  very  fimilar  to  this,  is  often 
the  end  of  him  who  has  lived  without 
God  in  the  world. 

BUT  turning  from  fo  diftreffing  a 
fcenej  to  its  happy  oppofite,  let  us  view 
the  man  who  loves  his  God,  and  who 
enamoured  with  its  beauty,  and  fenfible 
of  its  blefled  effects,  has  lived  a  life  of 
piety  and  virtue.  Let  us  behold  him 
when  about  to  leave  this  world  of  for- 
row  and  fuffering  and  to  wing  his  way 
to  that  which  is  far  better.  Lo  !  the 
time  is  come  that  Ifrael,  the  lover  of 
God,  muft  die.  The  laft  ficknefs  has 
feized  his  feeble  frame..  He  perceives 
that  the  all  conquering  foe  is  at  hand, 
but  marks  his  approach  without  difmay. 

He 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

He  is  not  afraid  of  death  becaufe  he 
fears  God,  "  and  he  who  fears  God  has  no 
thing  elfe  to  fear  " 

HE  is  not  afraid  df  death,  becaufe  if 
has  long  been  his  care  to  make  a  friend 
(the  almighty  and  everlafting  Jehovah) $ 
who  lhall  fland  by  him  in  that  awful 
hour.  He  is  not  afraid  of  death,  be 
caufe  he  loves  God  above  all  things  5 
and  to  him,  to  die,  is  to  go  to  fee  and 
live  with  God* 

Is  the  poor  hireling  afraid  of  the  earn 
ing,  which  is  to  refrefh  him  with  re- 
pofe,  and  to  rejoice  him  with  his  re 
ward  ? 

Is  the  foldier,  covered  with  fears  and 
tired  of  wars  alarms^  afraid  to  hear  the 
cry  of  victory  ?  O  no  !  delightful  found> 
fweeter  than  mufic  to  his  longing  ear  ; 

it  is  the    fignal  to  return  to  his   native 

* 

country,  and  t&  refign  the  din  and  dan 
gers  of  war  for  the  fweets  and  fafety  of 
long  coveted  peace; 

EVEN 


2T4    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR, 

EVEN  fo,  to  the  good  Chriftian  this 
world  is  the  field  of  hard,  though  glo 
rious  warfare.  In  the  fervice,  and  un 
der  the  eye  of  God,  he  is  now  fight 
ing  againft  the  armies  of  his  own  flefh- 
ly  lufts,  and  of  his  own  malignant  paf- 
fions.  Ever  and  anon,  he  hears  the 
voice  of  his  great  Captain — Perfevere 
and  thou  jhalt  conquer  ;  endure  unto  the 
end  and  thou  Jhalt  be  crowned.  To  him 
therefore  the  day  of  death  is  welcome  as 
the  loft  day  of  his  toils  and  dangers.  He 
vs  now  going  to  exchange  a  long  conflift- 
ing  war  for  the  bleffings  of  everlafling 
peace  :  having  fought  the  good  fight ,  he 
is  about  to  receive  his  wages,  even  eter 
nal  life,  and  to  put  on  a  Crown  of  glory 
that  fhall  never  fade  away.  Sure  that 
ferene  look,  beaming  all  the  fweetnefs 
of  love  and  hope*  befpeaks  the  already 
half-formed  feraph ;  and  the  heaven, 
almoft  opened  on  his  placid  counte 
nance,  gives  glorious  evidence  of  his 

intended 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    215 

intended  journey.  Soon  bidding  fare 
well  forever  to  thefe  realms  of  woe, 
and  haunts  of  malignant  beings,  he 
fhall  join  the  bleffed  fociety  of  angels  and 
fpirits  of  juji  men  made  perfect.  There 
he  ihall  fee  health  blooming  eternal  on 
each  immortal  face,  friendfhip  fmiling 
on  every  glorified  countenance,  and  a 
perfection  of  love  forming  a  paradife  of 
happinefs,  unknown  and  unconceived 
by  us  who  have  dwelt  in  the  tents  of 
hatred. 

BUT,  above  all,  the  fweeteft  motives 
to  refignation  in  death,  he  is  now  go 
ing  to  fee  him,  whom  oftentimes  with 
trembling  joy,  he  has  longed  to  fee, 
even  his  God,  his  firft,  his  laft,  his 
only  friend,  the  author  of  his  being  and 
of  all  his  mercies.  Shortly  fhall  he  fee 
his  glorious  face  unclouded  with  a  frown, 
and  hear  from  his  ambrofial  lips  the  lan*v 
guage  of  approbation  and  affeftion— •• 
*'  Welt  done  good  and  faithful  fcrvant" 

u  PRAISING 


2l6    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

PRAISING  God  for  advancing  him  to 
fuch  an  height  of  honor,  and  for  fetting 
before  him  fuch  an  eternity  of  happi- 
nefs  :  Praifmg  God  for  all  the  loving 
kindneffes  that  have  accompanied  him 
through  life,  and  efpecially  for  that 
greateft  of  all,  the  grace  that  brought 
him  to  repentance  and  a  good  life : 
earneftly  exhorting  his  friends  to  that 
love  of  God,  which  now  not  only  fup- 
ports,  but  enables  him  even  to  triumph 
in  this  dying  hour,  an  hour  fo  alarm 
ing  to  the  fears  of  nature  :  rejoicing  in 
a  fenfe  of  the  pardon  of  his  fins,  and 
exulting  in  the  hopes  of  the  glory  to 
he  revealed,  he  breathes  out  his  foul 
with  thefe  victorious  words, — "  into  thy 
hands ,  0  God,  I  commend  ?nyfpirit." 

WELL  may  his  friends,  edified  by 
fuch  an  example,  cry  out  with  weeping 
joy, — cc  Who  can  count  the  rewards  of 
ivifdwij  or  number  tlye  fourth  part  of  the 

ffiHZs  of  virtue  ?  Let  us  die  the  death  of 

j        O        J  w. 

tie 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

the  righteous,  and  let  our  latter  end  be  like 


BUT  divine  love  not  only  renders  life 
pleafant,  and  death  peaceful,  but  it  ac 
companies  us  into  heaven,  and  there 
gives  us  to  enjoy  the  moft  exquifite  plea- 
fures,  that  God  himfelf  can  confer  on 
happy  fouls  :  For  there  we  (hall  always 
live  in  the  prefence  of  God,  the  great 
fountain  of  all  lovelinefs  and  glory,  and 
fhall  love  him  with  ten  thoufand  times 
more  ardour  than  we  now  do,  or  even 
can  imagine  ;  for  the  longer  we  behold, 
the  more  we  fhall  know  him,  and  the 
more  we  know,  the  better  we  fhall  love 
him  ;  and  fo  through  everlafting  ages, 
our  love  fhall  be  extending  and  enrap 
turing  itfelf  with  his  infinite  beauty  and 
lovelinefs.  Now  love  is  the  fweeteft  and 
happieft  of  all  paffions,  and  it  is  merely 
by  accident  that  it  is  accompanied  with 
any  difquieting  or  painful  feelings. 
Either  the  perfon  beloved  is  abfent, 

which 


J2  1 8         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

which  corrodes  it  with  unquiet  defire, 
or  he  is  unhappy,  or  unkind,  which  im- 
bitters  it  with  grief;  or  he  is  fickle  and 
inconflant,  which  inflames  it  with  rage 
and  jealoufy ;  but,  feparated  from  all 
thefe  difagreeable  accidents,  and  it  is  all 
pure  delight  and  joy. 

BUT  in  heaven,  our  love  of  God  will 
have  none  of  thefe  difquieting  circum- 
flances  attending  it  j  for  there  he  will 
never  be  abfent  from  us,  but  will  be 
continually  entertaining  our  amorous 
minds  with  the  profped  of  his  infinite 
beauties.  There  we  (hall  always  feel 
his  love  to  us  in  the  moft  fenfible  and 
endearing  effects,  even  in  the  glory  of 
that  crown  which  he  will  fet  upon  our 
heads,  and  in  the  ravifhing  fweetnefs 
of  thofe  joys  which  he  will  infufe  into 
our  hearts.  There  we  fliall  experience 
the  continuation  of  his  love  in  the  con^ 
tinued  fruition  of  all  that  an  eyerlaft- 
ing  heaven  means,  and  be  convinced, 

as 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    219 

as  well  by  the  perpetuity  of  his  good- 
nefs  to  .us,  as  well  as  by  the  immutabi 
lity  of  his  nature,  that  he  is  an  uft*< 
changeable  lover.  And  there  we  fliall 
find  him  a  moft  happy  being,  happy  be 
yond  the  vaftefl  wiflies  of  our  love ;  fo 
that  we  fhall  not  only  delight  in  him,  as 
he  is  infinitely  lovely,  but  rejoice  and 
triumph  in  him  too  as  he  is  infinitely 
happy.  For  love  unites  the  interefts, 
as  well  as  the  hearts  of  lovers,  and 
gives  to  each,  the  joys  and  felicities  of 
the  other.  So  that  in  that  blefled  ftate 
we  fliall  fhare  in  the  felicity  of  God 
proportionably  to  the  degree  of  our 
love  to  him  :  For  the  more  we  love  him, 
the  more  we  fliall  ftill  efpoufe  his  hap 
py  intereft ;  and  the  more  we  are  inte- 
refterl  in  his  happinefs,  the  happier  we 
niufh  be,  and  the  more  we  muft  enjoy 
of  it.  Thus  love  gives  us  a  real  poflef- 
fion  and  enjoyment  of  God ;  it  makes 
us  co-partners  with  him  in  himfelf,  de- 


220   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

rives  his  happinefs  upon  us,  and  makes 
it  as  really  ours  as  his.  So  that  God's 
happinefs  is,  as  it  were,  the  common 
bank  and  treafury  of  all  divine  lovers, 
in  which  they  have  every  one  a  {hare, 
and  of  which,  proportionally  to  the 
degrees  of  their  love  to  him,  they  do 
all  draw  and  participate  to  all  eterni 
ty.  And  could  they  but  love  him  as 
much  as  he  deferves,  that  is  infinitely^ 
they  would  be  as  infinitely  blefled  and 
happy  as  he  is ;  For  then  all  his  happi 
nefs  would  be  theirs,  and  they  would 
have  the  fame  delightful  fenfe  and  feel 
ing  of  it,  as  if  it  were  all  tranfplanted 
into  their  own  bofoms.  God,  there 
fore  being  an  infinitely  lovely,  infinite 
ly  loving,  and  infinitely  happy  being, 
when  we  come  to  dwell  forever  in  his 
blefled  prefence,  our  love  to  him  can 
be  productive  of  none  but  fweet  and 
ravifhing  emotions ;  for  the  immenfe 
perfections  it  will  then  find  in  its  objeft, 

muft 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

muft  neceflarily  refine  it  from  all  thofe 
fears  and  jealoufies,  thofe  griefs  and 
difpleafures  that  are  mingled  with  our 
earthly  loves,  and  render  it  a  moft  pure 
delight  and  complacency.  So  that  when 
thus  refined  and  grown  up  to  the  per- 
feftion  of  the  heavenly  ftate,  it  will  be 
all  heaven,  it  will  be  an  eternal  paradife 
of  delights  within  us,  a  living  fpring 
whence  rivers  of  pleafures  will  flow  for 
evermore. 

THESE,  O  man,  are  fome  of  the  gold 
en  fruits  that  grow  upon  the  tree  of  di 
vine  love.  Happy,  therefore,  is  the 
man,  beyond  all  expreffion  of  words, 
beyond  all  conception  of  fancy,  happy 
is  he  who  obtaineth  this  angelic  virtue ! 

"  FOR  the  merchandife  of  it  is  better 
than  the  merchandife  of  Jtlver,  and  the ' 
gain  thereof  than  fine  gold.  She  is  more 
precious  than  rubies-,  and  all  the  things  that  • 
thou  canft  defire  are  not  to  be  compared 
unto  her.  She  is  a  tree  of  life  to  them 

that 


222         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR'. 

that  lay  hold  upon  her,  and  happy  is  every 
one  that  retalneth  her." 

SINCE  a  fupreme  love  of  God  is  the 
only  true  wealth  of  an  immortal  mind, 
O  !  with  what  diligence  fhould  we  apply 
ourfelves  to  obtain  it !  We  are  all  ready 
enough  to  acknowledge  our  obligations 
to  God,  and  to  own  that  it  is  our  duty 
to  love  him,  but  flill  complain  of  the 
difficulty  that  attends  it.  But  let  us  re 
member  that  this  difficulty  is  chargeable 
upon  ourfelves,  and  is  the  effeQ:  of  our 
own  fhameful  inconfi deration.  Taken 
up  with  the  little  cares  of  life,  we  ne- 
gleft  and  forget  God ;  hence,  it  is  not 
furprifmg  that  we  do  not  love  him. 
Would  we  but  often  think  of  him,  what 
he  is  in  hhnfelf,  and  contemplate  him 
in  the  full  blaze  of  his  wonderful  and 
amiable  perfections,  we  fhould  be  over 
whelmed  with  delightful  admiration  of 
him,  and  eafily  take  up  the  mofl  exalt 
ed  eileem  and  friendfhip  for  him.  And 

were 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         223 

were  we  but  frequently  to  confider  him, 
what  he  is  to  us,  how  infinitely  condef- 
cending,  generous  and  good,  we  fliould 
foon  feel  our  hearts  melting  into  all  the 
tendernefs  of  love  and  gratitude.  We, 
none  of  us  think  it  hard  to  love  the 
tender  mother  who  brought  us  into  the 
world,  the  fond  father  who  fupplies  our 
wants,  or  the  attentive  teacher  who  in- 
ftruftg  us  in  ufeful  and  ornamental 
knowledge;  ah!  why  then  fliould  we 
think  it  hard  to  love  our  God  ?  Did  we 
but  refleft,  we  fhould  foon  perceive  that 
he  is  really  and  truly  our  mother,  our 
father  and  our  teacher ;  and  that  thofe 
whom  we  honor  as  fuch,  are,  properly 
fpeaking,  only  the  inftruments  of  his 
goodnefs  to  us. 

SYLVIA  arrived  to  years  of  maturity, 
receives  the  addrefl^s  of  a  young  and 
accornplifhed  lover.  .Sylvia  blufhes  and 
likes  him.  Youthful  modefty  caufes 
her  to  hefitate.  a  while,  yet,  unable  to 

refift 


224         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

refifl  fo  much  merit.  Hie  at  length  yields 
to  the  impulfe  of  a  virtuous  paffion  and 
marries.  In  due  feafon  flie  becomes  a 
mother.  Now,  what  has  Sylvia  hither 
to  done  for  her  child  ?  The  whole  is  the 
Work  of  God.  When  he  laid  the  foun 
dations  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
he  had  this  child  in  view,  and  difpofed, 
from  fo  remote  a  period,  a  long  chain 
of  events,  which  were  to  terminate  in 
his  nativity.  The  time  being  come  for 
the  opening  of  this  bud,  he  was  pleafed 
to  place  it  in  Sylvia's  womb,  and  took 
care  himfelf  to  cherifh  and  unfold  it. 

THAT  this  child  fhould  love  and  ho 
nor  his  mother  is  what  he  certainly 
ought  to  do,  for  fhe  has  fuffered,  if  not 
for  his  fake,  at  leaft  through  him,  the 
inconveniencies  of  pregnancy,  and  the 
pains  of  child-birth.  But  let  him  carry 
his  grateful  acknowledgments  ftill  high 
er,  and  not  imitate  thofe  fuperftitious 
idolaters,  who,  feeing  the  earth  yearly 

covered 


THE  IMMORTAL    MENTOR,        225 

covered  with  corn,  fruits  and  paftures, 
ftupicQ.y  worshipped  this  blind  inftru- 
ment  of  the  bounties  of  their  Sovereign 
Lord,  without  ever  thinking  to  praife 
the  powerful  arm  from  whence  it  de 
rives  its  fruitfulnefs. 

CHARLES    loves  his  father  Eugenis. 
Charles  does  well ;  but  what  has  Eu 
genis  done  for  Charles  ?     Eugenis  has 
not,  it  is  true,  refembled  that  proud  pa 
rent  who  beggars  the  reft  of  his  child 
ren  in  order  to  fwell  the  fortune  of  an 
elder  brother.     Nor  is  he  like  that  ftern 
tyrannical  father  who  never  looks  at  his 
children  but  with  fury,  never  fpeaks  to 
them  but  in  paffion,  never  inftrufts  them 
but  by  threats,  and  correfts  them   like 
a   butcher    and  a  murderer.     Nor  yet 
does  he  aft  like  Florimond,  that  unna 
tural  father,  who   lives   like  a  ftranger 
in  his    own    houfe ;  goes    in    and    out, 
drinks,    games,    and   faunters ;     mean 
while   his  neglefted  children  grow  up 

to 


226    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

to  the  years  of  maturity  ;  happy  indeed 
if  of  themfelves  inclinable  to  virtue, 
they '  make  any  attainments  in  ufeful 
knowledge  and  accomplifhments,  or 
think  of  fettling  in  the  world  ;  for  as 
to  his  part,  he  never  troubles  his  head 
about  them.  No,  far  unlike  thefe,  Eu- 
genis  is  the  beft  of  parents  ;  he  fpares 
no  pains  nor  expence  to  render  his  fon 
Charles  an  ornament  and  a  bleffing  to 
his  country.  He  accuftoms  him  by 
times  to  a  temperate  diet,  furnifhes  him 
with  decent  apparel,  and  charges  the 
ableft  mafters  with  his  inftru&ion  ;  he 
carefully  teaches  him  his  relation  to 
God,  and  his  obligations  to  that  beft 
of  beings  ;  and,  at  the  fame  time,  by 
precept  and  example,  endeavours  to  in- 
fpire  him  with  the  love  of  juftice,  ho 
nor  and  induftry.  Thefe  are,  to  be 
fure,  the  deareft  expreffions  of  a  fa 
ther's  love,  and  hard  and  deteftable  in 
deed  would  be  Charles'  bofom,  if  he 

could 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         227 

could  refufe  to  love  fuch  a  parent ;  but 
let  him  remember,  that  all  this  comes 
ultimately  from  God  ;  for  we  fhould 
always  afcend  to  this  original  of  blef- 
fings.  When  Eugenis  watched  for  his 
fon's  prefervation  ;  it  was  God  who  pre- 
ferved  him  ;  when  he  took  care  to  in- 
ftru£t  him,  it  was  God  who  opened  his 
underftanding  ;  and  when  he  entertain 
ed  him  with  the  charms  of  virtue,  it 
was  God  who  excited  him  to  love  it. 

"  THE  labourer  digs  the  mine  ;  the  phi- 
lofopher  directs  the  work  ;  but  neither  of 
them  fur  nifo  the  gold  which  it  contains." 

BUT  what  heart  fo  hard  as  to  refift 
the  golden  fliafts  of  love,  efpecially  when 
coming  from  a  friend  that  is  fcr  fupe- 
rior  to  us  ?  If  fome  good  and  mighty 
prince  were  to  invite  us  to  his  court, 
and  to  treat  us  with  all  the  tendernefs 
of  parental  affeftion,  fhould  we  not  find 
it  a  very  eafy  thing  to  love  him  ?  Now, 
has  not  this  been  the  condud  of  God 
x  our 


228         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR, 

our  Maker  ?  When  we  lay  in  all  the  ob- 
fcurity  of  duft,  he  fent  a  meflage  of 
love,  and  called  us  into  life,  not  the 
life  of  fluttering  infefts,  but  of  infant 
immortals.  For  us,  and  for  our  fakes, 
he  built  this  vaft  world  ;  he  covered  it 
with  the  canopy  of  the  heavens,  and 
ftored  it  with  good  ^things  innumer 
able.  At  his  command  the  fun  rifes 
to  gladden  us  with  the  golden  day ; 
and  the  moon  with  filver  beams  to 
cheer  the  darknefs  of  the  night.  He 
waters  the  hills  from  his  fecret  cham 
bers,  and  bids  the  clouds  pour  down 
their  fattening  fliowers  upon  the  earth. 
Thus  he  covers  our  tables  with  bread 
to  renew  our  ftrength,  and  with  wine 
that  makes  glad  our  hearts, 

BUT  he  has  not  only  compaffed  us 
round,  like  fo  many  fortunate  iflands, 
with  a  vaft  ocean  of  good  things  for 
our  bodies ;  but  he  has  likewife  infpir- 
ed  us  with  immortal  minds,  and  has 

induced 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

induced  them  with  the  high  capacities 
of  knowledge  and  love,  whereby,  as  on 
golden  ladders,  we  may  afcend  to  the 
perfection  and  happinefs  of  celeftial  be 
ings.  And  to  gratify  thefe  our  noble 
capacities,  he  has  prepared  for  us  a 
glorious  heaven,  and  has  furnilhed  it 
with  all  the  pleafures  and  delights  that 
heavenly  fpirits  can  defire  or  enjoy* 
Befides  all  this,  he  has  fent  his  own 
foil  from  heaven  to  reveal  to  us  the 
way  thither,  and  to  encourage  us  to 
return  into  it  by  dying  for  our  fins, 
and  thereby  obtaining  for  us  a  public 
grant  and  charter  of  mercy  and  par 
don,  on  condition  of  our  return  :  and, 
as  if  all  this  were  too  little,  he  hath 
fent  his  fpirit  to  us  in  the  room  of  his 
fon,  to  refide  axnongfl  us,  and,  as  his 
vicegerent,  to  carry  on  this  vaft  defign 
of  his  love  to  us,  to  excite  and  perfuade 
us  to  return  into  the  foay  leading  to 
heaven,  and  to  affifl  us  all  along  in 

our 


23°        THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

our  good  travels  thither.  Such  won 
derful  care  has  he  taken  not  to  be  de 
feated  of  this  his  kind  intention  to  make 
us  everlaftingly  happy.  "  0  that  men 
would  therefore  love  the  Lord  for  his  g&od- 
nefs,  and  declare  the  wonders  that  he 
doth  for  the  children  of  men" 

THAT  thefe  dear  pledges  of  God's 
love  may  infpire  our  hearts  with  fuit- 
able  returns  of  gratitude,  we  fhould 
often  refiefl  on  them,  and  fpread  them 
before  our  minds  in  all  their  endearing 
circumftances.  We  fhould  frequently 
fet  our  cold  and  frozen  affections  before 
thefe  melting  flames  of  his  love,  and 
never  ceafe  fanning  the  fmoking  flax 
until  we  feel  the  heavenly  fire  begin 
ning  to  kindle  in  our  bofoms. 

AND,  while  we  are  feeking  this  Ifrael 
of  great  price.,  let  us,  as  we  hope  for 
fuccefs,  guard  our  innocence^  as  the  trem 
bling  mifer  guards  his  hoarded  gold. 
The  bofom  that  burns  with  impure  de- 
fires, 


THE   IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       23! 

fires,  or  that  is  corroded  with  malig 
nant  paffions,  finds  no  delight  in  God. 
No,  that  is  a  happinefs  referved  only 
for  the  pure  in  heart,  and  for  him  who 
knows  how  to  pity  an  offending  bro 
ther. 

AND,  together  with  our  own  exer 
tions,  we  fhould  often  implore  the  aid 
of  all  affifting  heaven.  To  him,  who 
alone  knows  its  ineftimable  worth,  let 
our  fervent  prayers  be  conftantly  afcend- 
ing. 

46  FATHER  of  life  and  love,  thou  God 
fupreme^  0  teach  our  hearts  to  love  thee : 
For  to  whom,  0  Lord,  fhall  we  give  our 
hearts  but  to  thee  ?  Thou  alone  hq/l  gene- 
roufly  created  them  ;  thou  alone  haji  infi 
nitely  deferred  them  ;  and  thou  alone  canft 
completely  and  eternally  fatisfy  them." 

THESE  prefcriptions,  faithfully  obferv- 
•d,  will  foon  produce  in  our  hearts  that 
love,  whofe  joy  paffeth  all  under/land 
ing,  that  love,  poffeffed  of  which,  the 
x.  2  poorcil 


232    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

pooreft  flave  is  paffing  rich  ;  while  with 
out  it,  the  fceptered  monarch  walks  but 
in  fplendid  poverty. 

HE  who  loves  God  is  the  alone  wife, 
dignified  and  happy  man.  For  he  loves 
the  only  good  that  is  worthy  the  af- 
feftions  of  an  immortal  mind.  He  lovds 
a  friend  who  alone  poffeffes  almighty 
power  to  protect  him,  unerring  wifdom 
to  counfel  him,  and  infinite  love  to 
blefs  him.  He  loves  an  immortal  friend 
who  can  never  die  and  forfake  him,  and 
an  unchangeable  friend  who  will  never 
requite  his  love  with  negleft. 

His  love  of  God  fweetens  every  duty, 
and  makes  the  yoke  of  obedience  to  fit 
light.  It  heightens  the  fmile  of  profpe- 
rity,  and  cheers  the  gloom  of  adverfity. 
Bleffings  are  doubly  dear  coming  from 
fuch  a  friend  ;  and  afflidions  not  un 
welcome,  when  looked  on  as  tokens 
of  his  no  lefs  tender  love.  Under  the 
languors  of  fieknefs  he  remembers,  not 

without 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

without  facred  comfort,  that  the  end  of 
his  fufferings  is  at  hand ;  and  even 
when  this  earthly  tabernacle  of  his  flefh 
is  pulling  down,  he  is  not  difconfolate ; 
he  rejoices  in  the  hope  of  that  glori 
ous  houfe  not  made  with  hands,  eter 
nal  in  the  heavens.  There,  far  remov 
ed  from  all  the  miferies  of  this  mortal 
life,  advanced  into  the  prefence  of  him. 
who  made  him,  and  accompanied  by 
millions  of  loving  and  bleiTed  fpirits,  he 
(hall  enjoy  a  happinefs  as  far  exceed 
ing  his  expectations  as  his  deferts  : — 
"  A  happinefs  which  eye  hath  notfeen  nor 
ear  heard^  nor  hath  entered  into  the  heart 
of  man  to  conceive." 


CHAP, 


234        THE    IMMORTAL 


CHAP.     II. 

ON  SOCIAL  LOVE. 


**  This  only  can  the  blefs,  bejtotv^ 

ft  Immortal fouls  Jhould  prove ^ 
<J  From  one  Jkort  word  all  phafures  flow, 

"  That  blejfcd  ivord  is — LOVE," 

PROUD. 

THE  firft  fruits  of  a  creature's  love 
are  due  to  God,  as  to  his  Crea 
tor  and  the  author  of  all  his  good  ; 
the  fecond  are  due  to  men,  as  to  his 
brethren  and  fellow  fharers  in  the  boun 
ties  of  their  common  parent.  Having 
in  the  preceding  chapter,  dtmonfirated 
the  importance  of  loving  God,  proceed 
we  in  this  to  confider  the  beauty  and 
bleiTednefs  of  ficial  love. 

To 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    235 

To  be  carefled  and  beloved  by  all 
around  us,  is  one  of  the  deareft  wilhes 
of  the  human  heart.  It  is  a  natural, 
it  is  a  lafudable  wifh.  Great  pains  have 
been  taken,  and  infinite  expence  incur 
red  to  attain  this  coveted  honor,  and 
yet  the  greater  part  never  attain  it, 
merely  through  defeft  of  love  on  their 
own  part.  Let  beauty,  wit,  gold$  &c. 
boail  and  do  all  they  can,  yet  will  it 
be  found  in  the  end,  that 

"  In  fpite  of  all  the  dull  miftaken  elves, 
"  They  who  wouM  make  us  love,  mud  love,  them- 
«  felves." 

LOVE  is  the  univerfal  charm.  It  pof- 
feffes  a  beauty  that  wins  and  ravifhes 
every  heart.  A  fmgle  fpark  of  it  in 
generofity  of  dealing  excites  our  ad 
miration  ;  a  glimpfe  of  it  in  courteous 
behaviour  fecures  to  a  man  our  eiieem, 
and  fweetly  endears  him  to  us.  How 
charming  is  the  countenance  that  is 
brightened  by  the  fmiles  of  love !  How 
fweet  the  voice  that  is  tuned  by  the 

melody 


236   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

melody  of  love  !  How  gladdening  to 
the  heart,  the  beams  that  fparkle  from 
the  eye  of  love  !  Indeed  love,  or  good- 
nefs,  which  is  but  another  name,  is  the 
only  amiable  thing  in  nature.  Po\ver 
and  wealth  may  be  refpe£ted,  wit  and 
beauty  may  be  admired,  but  if  feparat- 
ed  from  goodnefs,  they  neither  deferve 
nor  can  command  our  love  :  For  the 
worft  and  moft  wretched  of  beings  pof- 
fefs  them  in  a  very  high  degree.  The 
prince  of  darknefs  has  more  power, 
and  tyrannizes  over  more  Haves  by  far 
than  the  Great  Turk.  One  devil  may 
have  more  wit  than  all  the  Achitophels 
in  the  world,  and  yet,  with  all  his  wit, 
he  is  very  odious  and  miferable.  And 
fuch,  in  proportion,  is  every  one  who 
partakes  in  his  accurfed  difpofition  of 
hatred  and  malice. 

SEE  how  Pandorus  is  beloved  and 
carefled.  Is  it  becaufe  of  his  honefty  ? 
This  virtue  only  gains  our  efteem,  but 

does 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         237 

does  not  captivate  the  heart.  Is  it  be- 
caufe  he  is  beneficent  and  friendly  ? 
?vfany  who  are  fo  fond  of  his  company 
liave  no  need  of  his  affiftance.  Is  it 
becaufe  he  is  gay,  humorous,  and  en 
tertaining  ?  This  would  render  him  a- 
greeable,  only  when  gaiety  is  feafon- 
able.  No,  he  is  more  beloved  than 
any  other  man  in  the  world,  only  be 
caufe  he  is  the  mofl  affeElionate  man  in 
it.  He  feems  to  live  but  to  pleafe,  to 
oblige,  and  to  ferve  his  friends.  If  he 
find  out  what  will  pleafe  you,  he  pre 
vents  your  defires,  and  does  it  with  fuch 
an  air  of  cheerfulnefs,  that,  while  he 
has  no  other  view  than  to  oblige  you, 
he  feems  to  follow  nothing  but  his  own 
choice  and  inclinations.  This  charming 
complaifance  of  Pandorus  was  not  learn 
ed  in  the  fchool  of  the  world ;  but  is 
the  rich  fruit  of  his  genuine  benevo 
lence.  Hence  it  renders  him  equally 
endearing  and  equally  agreeable,  at  all 

times, 


238       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

times,  and  to  all  ranks.  He  is  not  a 
fycophant  to  the  great,  and  fcornful  or 
negligent  of  the  poor  ;  he  does  not 
treat  you  to-day  as  a  dear  friend^  and 
to-morrow  knows  you  not^  but  uniformly 
his  looks  and  manners  are  thofe  of  the 
man  who  confiders  both  the  rich  and 
the  poor  as  his  brethren,  If  you  love 
like  Pandorus,  and  like  him  take  a  plea- 
fure  in  contributing  to  the  happinefs  of 
others,  I  will  anfwer  for  the  friendfhip 
of  all  who  know  you ;  this  is  a  perfec 
tion  that  will  engage  people  at  all  times, 
in  all  places,  and  on  all  occafions. 

BUT  love  not  only  renders  us  thus 
dear  and  defireable  to  others  ;  but  it 
fpreads  the  funfhine  of  fweeteft  peace 
over  our  own  minds.  It  delivers  us 
from  the  tyranny  of  all  thofe  bad  paf- 
fions  which  make  us  miferable.  Like 
a  golden  curb  it  checks  the  fiercenefs 
of  anger,  that  dangerous  ftorm  and  hur 
ricane  of  the  foul.  A  man  can  hardly 

be 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          239 

be  incenfed  againfh  thofe  whom  he  ten 
derly  loves :  an  accidental  negleft,  a 
hafty  word,  a  fmall  unkindnefs,  will 
not  agitate  a  loving  fpirit,  much  lefs 
work  it  up  to  hateful  foe-eyed  fury. 

IT  banifhes  envy,  that  feverely  juft 
vice  which  never  fails  to  punifh  itfelf ; 
for  it  is  impoffible  to  repine  at  the 
wealth  or  profperity,  at  the  virtue  or 
fame  of  him  whom  we  cordially  love. 
It  excludes  revenge,  that  cruel  canker 
of  the  heart ;  for  who  can  indulge  bit 
ter  refentments,  or  form  dark  defigns 
of  evil  againft  him  whom  he  tenderly 
loves,  and  in  whofe  good  he  heartily 
delights  ? 

IT  fubdues  ambition  and  avarice, 
thofe  afpiring  painful  paffions.  For  who 
could  domineer  over  thofe  whom  he 
loves,  and  whofe  honor  he  tenders  as 
his  own  ?  Who  could  extort  from  and 
impoverifh  thofe  whom  he  earneftly 
wifhes  and  would  gladly  fee  to  profper  ? 
Y  A  competence 


240         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

A  competence  will  feem  like  abundance 
to  him  who  lives  as  among  brethren, 
taking  himfelf  but  for  one  among  the 
reft,  and  can  as  ill  endure  to  fee  them 
want  as  himfelf, 

IT  is  in  the  prevalence  of  fuch  bad 
paffions  as  thefe,  that  human  mifery 
chiefly  confifts.  Love  is  their  only  fo- 
vereign  antidote.  It  alone  fubdues  and 
expels  their  fatal  poifon,  and  thus  re- 
ftores  health  and  happinefs  to  our  long 
tortured  bofoms.  Love,  like  a  celeftial 
queen,  walks  before,  meeknefs  and  gen- 
tlenefs  follow  as  her  eldeft  daughters, 
while  joy  and  peace,  with  all  the  fifter 
graces,  make  up  the  immortal  retinue. 

BUT  love  preferves  us  not  only  from 
our  own,  but  from  the  malignant  paf 
fions  of  others.  Like  fweetefl  mufic,  it 
has  power  to  footh  the  favage  breaft,  to 
melt  hearts  of  flint,  and  to  tame  the 
fierceft  fpirits.  Its  mild  and  ferene 
countenance,  its  foft  and  gentle  fpirit 

it* 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTO&. 

its  courteous  and  obliging  manners,  its 
fair  dealing,  its  endearing  converfation, 
its  readinefs  to  do  good  fervices  to  any 
man,  is  the  only  charm  under  heaven 
to  difarm  the  bad  paffions  of  men,  and 
to  guard  our  perfon  from  aflault,  our 
interefl  from  damage,  and  our  reputa- 
tion  from  flander.  For  who  can  be  fo 
unnatural  as  to  hate  the  man  who  loves 
us  and  is  ever  ready  to  do  us  good? 
What  wretch,  what  demon,  can  find  in 
his  heart  to  be  a  foe  to  him  who  is  a 
warm  friend  to  all  ?  The  vileft  finner 
cannot  be  fo  vile,  fo  deftitute  of  goodnefs. 
If  you  love  thofe  who  love  you  what  reward 
kzve  you^  do  not  evenfinners  the  fame? 

OF  this  wonderful  power  of  love,  to 
convert  foes  into  friends,  we  have  many 
pleafing  examples  in  holy  writ.  Efau 
was  a  rough  man,  and  exceedingly  an 
gry  with  his  brother  Jacob,  and  yet 
how  eafily  did  Jacob's  meek  and  affec 
tionate  behaviour  overcome  him !  "  Efau 

ran 


242       TH£    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

ran  to  meet  Jacob,  and  fell  on  his  neck  and 
kiffed  him,  and  they  wept." 

SAUL  was  pofleffed  with  a  furious 
envy  and  fpite  againft  David.  Yet  what 
acknowledgments  did  David's  generous 
dealing  extort  from  him  ? — 

"  Is  this  thy  'voice  my  fon  David?  Thou 
art  more  righteous  than  7,  for  thou  haft  re 
warded  me  good)  whereas  I  have  reward 
ed  the  evil ;  behold  I  have  played  the  fool ^ 
and  erred  exceedingly  " 

THOUGH  gratitude  is  not  fo  common 
a  virtue  as  it  ought  to  be,  yet  the  re-, 
membrance  of  his  former  kindneffes 
often  furrounds  a  good  man  in  diftrefs 
with  many  warm  friends  and  generci»;s 
comforters.  Is  lie  in  danger,  who  will 
not  defend  him  ?  is  he  falling,  who  will 
not  uphold  him  ?  Is  he  flandered,  who 
will  not  vindicate  him  ? 

LOVE  difpofes  us  to  put  to  their  pro 
per  ufes  every  bleffing  that  may  fall  to 
our  lot  ;  while,  without  //,  the  moll 

fplendkf 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         243 

fplendid  advantages  that  we  could  de- 
fire,  the  largeft  fortunes  and  brighteft 
parts,  will  become  vain  and  fru«itlefs,  if 
not  pernicious  and  deftruftive  to  us. 
For,  what  is  our  reafon  worth  if  it  ferve 
only  to  contrive  little  forry  defigns  for 
curfelves  ?  What  is  wit  good  for,  if  it 
be  fpent  only  in  making  fport,  or  creat 
ing  mifchief  ?  What  fignifies  wealth,  if 
•it  be  ufelefsly  hoarded  up,  or  vainly 
thrown  away  on  the  lufts  of  one  poor 
•worm  ?  What  is  our  credit  but  a  mere 
puff  of  air,  if  we  do  not  give  it  fub- 
ftance  by  making  it  an  engine  of  doing 
good  ?  What  is  our  virtue  itfelf,  if  bu 
ried  in  obfcurity  it  yield  no  benefit  to 
others  by  the  luftre  of  its  example,  or 
Jbyits  real  influence?  If  thefe  advantages 
minifter,  only  to  our  own  particular 
pleafure  -or  profit,  how  mean  and  in- 
confiderable  they  appear"! 

BUT  under  the  management  of  love, 

fee  what  worth  and  importance  they  at 

Y  .2  fume. 


244         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

fume.  Our  wealth  becomes  the  bank 
from  which  the  weeping  widow,  the  in 
digent  young  tradefman,  and  the  help- 
lefs  orphan.,  draw  the  fupply  of  their 
wants.  Our  wit  is  employed  to  expofe 
the  deformities  of  vice,  and  to  paint 
virtue  in  her  loveliefl  colours.  Our 
knowledge  is  applied  to  inftruft  the  ig 
norant,  to  admonifh  the  guilty,  and  to 
comfort  the  wretched.  Thus  love  ena 
bles  us  to  lay  out  our  talents  in  fo  ex 
cellent  a  manner  as  to  fecure  thofe  in- 
eftimable  bleffings — the  love  of  God, 
the  friendfhip  of  mankind,  and  all  the 
exquifite  pleafures  of  doing  good*  How 
great  then  is  the  worth  of  love,  fince 
without  it  the  goods  even  of  the  weal- 
thieft  are  but  temporal  and  tranfient, 
fuch  as  too  often  prove  dangerous  fnares 
and  baneful  poifons,  and  are  at  beft  but 
impertinent  baubles. 

LOVE  gives  worth  to  all  our  apparent 
virtuls,  infomuch,    that   without  it  no 

quality 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    245 

quality  of  the  heart,  no  adion  of  life 
is  valuable  in  itfelf  or  pleafing  to  God. 
Without  love,  what  is  courage,  but  the 
boldnefs  of  a  lion  or  the  fiercenefs  of  a 
tyger  ?  What  is  meeknefs  but  the  foft- 
nefs  of  a  wpman,  or  the  weaknefs  of  a 
child?  What  is  politenefs,  but  the  gri 
mace  of  a  monkey,  or  the  fooleries  of 
a  fop  ?  What  is  juftice,  but  paffion  or 
policy  ?  What  is  wifdom  but  craft  and 
fubtilty  ?  Without  love,  and  what  is 
faith  but  dry  opinion  ?  What  is  hope 
but  blind  prefumption  ?  What  is  alms 
giving  but  oftentation  ?  What  is  mar 
tyrdom  but  flubbornefs  ?  What  is  de 
motion  but  a  mockery  of  God  ?  What 
is  any  praftice,  how  fpecious  foever  in 
itfelf,  or  beneficial  to  others,  but  the 
effect  of  felfiflmefs  and  pride  ?  "  Though 
I  have  faith  fo  that  I  cou'ld  remove  moun* 
tains ,  and  have  not  /ove,  I  am  nothing, 
Though  I  give  all  my  goods  to  feed  'the 

poor. 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

poor,  and  have   not   love,  it  profiteth  me 
nothing." 

BUT  love  fanftifies  every  aftion,  and 
converts  all  that  we  do  into  virtue.  It 
is  true  bravery  indeed,  when  a  man,  out 
of  love  to  his  neighbour,  and  a  hearty 
defire  to  promote  his  good,  encounters 
dangers  and  difficulties.  It  is  genuine 
meeknefs,  when  a  man  out  of  love,  and 
an  unwillingnefs  to  hurt  his  neighbour, 
patiently  puts  up  with  injuries.  It  is 
politenefs  indeed,  when  cordial  affeftion 
expreffes  itfelf  in  civil  language,  re- 
fpe&ful  manners,  and  obliging  aftions. 
It  is  excellent  juftice,  when  a  man  re 
garding  his  neighbour's  cafe  as  his  own, 
does  to  him  as  he  would  have  it  done 
to  himfelf.  It  is  admirable  wifdom, 
which  fludies  to  promote  our  neigh 
bour's  welfare.  It  is  a  noble  faith, 
which,  working  by  love,  produces  the 
rich  fruits  of  obedience.  It  is  a  folid 
iiope?  which  is  grounded  on  that  ever- 

lafting 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          247 

lafting  bafis  of  love  which  never  fails. 
It  is  a  fincere  alms,  which  not  only  the 
hand  but  the  heart  reaches  out.  It  is 
an  acceptable  facrifice,  which  is  kindled 
by  the  holy  fire  of  love.  It  is  an  hal 
lowed  devotion  which  is  offered  up  from 
a  heart  pure  and  benevolent  like  the  be 
ing  whom  it  adores, 

LOVE  is  a  grand  inftruinent  of  our 
happinefs,  becaufe  it  alone  renders  fweet 
and  pleafant  all  the  duties  which  we 
owe  to  our  neighbour,  J^ll  agree,  that 
the  fecond  great  bufmefs  of  men  in  this 
life  is  to  learn  to  love  one  another. 
And  fince  the  conftant  performance  of 
kind  and  generous  fervices  to  each  other, 
tends  moil  effectually  to  fan  the  flame 
of  love,  our  heavenly  Father  is  perpe 
tually  calling  on  us  to  perform  thofe 
good  offices  to  our  brethren.  He  com 
mands  the  Jirong  to  bear  the  burdens  of 
the  weak,  the  rich  to  abound  in  good  works. 

to 


\ 

248    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR* 

to  the  poor,  the  poor  to  be  cheerfully  o 
ing  to  the  rich?  and  all  of  us  to  exercife 
meeknefs,  gentlenefs,  hofpitality,  juftice, 
honor,  truth,  &c.  Such  fentiments  and 
works  of  beneficence  and  love,  make  a 
confiderable  part  of  our  duties,  duties 
that  occur  every  day  and  hour  of  our 
lives.  To  perform  thefe  with  alacrity 
and  pleafure  muft  add  greatly  to  our 
happinefs,  becaufe,  fmce  they  occur  fo 
frequently,  if  we  have  but  the  art  to 
turn  them  into  pleafures,  our  whole 
life  muft  be  one  continued  round  of 
pleafure.  Whereas,  on  the  contrary,  if 
we  take  no  delight  in  them,  we  ftand 
a  fair  chance  to  lead  very  uneafy  lives  ; 
as  we  fliall  be  continually  called  on  by 
duties  which  we  cannot  perform  with 
out  reluctance,  nor  yet  negled  without 
much  vexation  and  regret. 

WOULD  we  have  this,  our  field  of 
trial,  to  become  a  garden  of  pleafant- 
nefs  ?  Let  us  love.  Love  is  the  great 

wonder^ 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   249 

wonder-worker.  It  converts  duties  into 
delights,  and  penances  into  pleafures. 
Are  you  wealthy  ?  In  making  you  fo, 
heaven  kindly  intended  for  you  the  joy 
of  afting  as  the  friend  and  benefactor 
of  the  poor.  That  you  may  be  fenfible 
how  eflential  love  is  to  the  cheerful  dif- 
charge  of  the  duties  of  beneficence, 
turn  your  eyes  towards  Dives  :  In  him 
you  behold  one  of  the  wealthieft  of  the 
fons  of  fortune.  His  cellars,  his  barns, 
his  coffers,  are  all  burfting  out  with 
abundance  ;  but  his  heart  poflefles  not 
one  fpark  of  love.  Alas  !  the  fad  con- 
fequences  of  his  lacking  this  one  thing 
needful.  Hence,  though  poflefled  of 
wealth  fufHcient  to  enable  him,  like  the 
good  angel  of  his  neighbourhood,  to 
fcatter  bleffings  around  him  on  at  leaft 
fifty  needy  families ;  he  lofes  the  joy, 
and  they  the  benefit  of  fuch  noble  cha 
rities.  Deftitute  of  love,  Dives  takes 
no  delight,  even  in  feeding  the  hungry  3 

in 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

in  cloathing  the  naked,  or  in  foothing 
the  forrows  of  ficknefs  and  poverty. 
Unhappy  Dives  !  Works  of  love  which 
bleffed  angels  would  prefer  to  their  nec 
tar  and  anibrofia,  are  fet  before  thee, 
but  thou  haft  no  relifh  for  them.  Dives 
keeps  a  fplendid  table,  has  vaft  apart 
ments,  rich  furniture,  coftly  jewels,  a 
large  number  of  fervants,  and  fumptu- 
ous  equipages  ;  and  that  is  enough  for 
him  ;  his  poor  childifh  fancy  has  no 
idea  of  any  thing  fuperior. 

BUT  fee  the  noble  and  excellent  De- 
mophilus.  Demophilus  poffefles  an  ef- 
tate  not  inferior  to  that  of  Dives;  but 
his  eftate,  though  ample,  is  not  half 
fo  ample  as  his  heart.  Demophilus  de 
nies  himfelf  all  the  pomps  and  fuper- 
fluities  of  life,  in  order  that  he  may 
fvvell  the  tide  of  his  liberality  to  the 
poor.  It  were  an  endlefs,  though  pleaf- 
ing  tafk,  to  relate  how  many  friendlefs 
fit-tie  children  he  has  educated,  how 

many 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

many  poor  young  tradefmen  he  has  fet 
up  in  good  bufmefs ;  and  how  many 
helplefs  old  perfons,  provided  for  by 
his  bounty,  are  now  fpending  the  even 
ing  of  their  days  in  peace  and  comfort. 
Every  day  is  to  Demophilus  a  day  of 
happinefs,  becaufe  it  is  fpent  in  offices 
of  kindnefs  to  thofe  whom  love  has 
taught  him  to  view  iri  the  endearing 
light  of  relations ;  and,  in  ferving 
whom,  he  afts  with  all  the  alacrity  of 
a  brother*  Thus  love  employs  him  in 
fuch  good  works  as  yield  the  purefl 
pleafures  while  he  is  engaged  in  them, 
and  the  remembrance  of  which  will  be 
a  well  of  fweeteft  waters  fpringing  up 
in  his  bofom  to  eternal  life. 

ARE  you  a  poor  man  ?  You  will  find 
love  to  be  equally  eflential  to  your  hap- 
hapinefs.  Love  will  not  only  preferve 
you  from  all  the  pangs  of  envy  and  dif- 
content ;  thofe  infernal  vipers  which 
pry  on  the  vitals  of  too  many  of  our 
z  poor 


^5^         THE    IMMORTAL    ME&TOJU 

poor  brethren !  But  it  will  enable  yott 
to  look  with  the  joy  of  a  brother  on 
the  fuperior  profpeiity  of  your  neigh 
bour.  It  will  infpire  you  with  that 
fublimefl  devotion,  prayers  for  your 
wealthy  neighbour,  that  he  may  be 
fenfible  of  the  bleffings  he  poffeflfes  in 
poffefling  wealth  and  power,  that  he 
may  be  thankful  for  them,  and  put  them 
to  fuch  good  ufe  as  at  once  to  pleafe 
the  fupreme  giver,  to  win  the  gratitude 
of  the  poor,  and  to  fill  his  own  heart 
with  joy. 

ARE  you  in  debt  to  your  neighbour  ? 
Then  it  nearly  concerns  you  to  love 
him.  I  will  not  indeed  fay,  that  if  you 
do  not  love,  you  will  never  pay  your 
debts,  for  a  fenfe  of  honor  may  incline 
you,  as  it  does  itlany  who  are  deftitute 
of  love,  to  be  honeft ;  but  this  I  will 
fay,  that  if  you  love  your  neighbour, 
you  will  pay  him  with  much  more  cer 
tainty  and  fatisfaftion  than  you  other- 
wife 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         253 

wife  could.  If  you  love  your  neigh 
bour,  you  will  not  be  able  to  run  in 
debt  to  him,  when  you  forfee  that  you 
can  never  pay  him. 

A  CERTAIN  lawyer — -a  cafe  in  point — 
made  application  to  a  certain  hair-dref- 
fer  for  a  wig.  The  generous  tradef- 
man,  who  was  juft  about  to  fit  down 
to  dinner,  invited  his  cuftomer  to  take 
pot-luck  with  him.  After  having  made 
a  plentiful  repaft,  and  emptied  the  fe- 
cond  bowl,  "  AW  Sir,"  laid  the  be 
nevolent  fhaver,  addreffing  his  gueft, 
"  I'll  make  you  as  handfome  a  wig  as  ever 
graced  the  head  of  a  counfellor." — "  No9 
that  you  Jhall  not" — "  Hie!  what's  the 
matter  ?  Did  you  not  come  to  befpcak  a 
wig?" — "  True,  I  did,  but  I  have  altered 
my  mind.  Tou  are  fo  clever  a  fellow  that 
I  have  a  great  liking  for  you,  and  this 
makes  me  fcorn  to  take  an  advantage  of  you  : 
For  were  you  to  make  me  a  wig,  I  do  not 
know  that  I  Jhould  ever  be  able  to  fay  you 

for 


254      T**E    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

for  it." — What  a  generous  thing  mufl 
love  be,  fince  a  few  feathers  of  it  only 
could  thus  bear  a  man  up  above  a  dif- 
honeft  aftion!  Would  God,  that  not 
only  all  lawyers,  but  that  all  men  alfo 
had  more  of  it ! 

To  the  man  who  loves  not,  the  pay 
ment  of  his  debts  is  often  a  great  pe 
nance.  Avaro  owes  500  guineas — 500 
guineas!  Avaro  had  as  lieve  it  were  500 
drops  of  his  heart's  blood.  To-mor 
row  is  the  day  of  payment ;  a  fad  day 
to  Avaro !  Avaro  goes  with  a  heavy 
heart  to  his  ftrong  box  to  take  one  more 
view  of  his  dear  poor  guineas.  He 
takes  them  up  in  his  hands  ;  he  hugs 
them  to  his  breaft  : — "  Sweet  precious 
gold,  and  muji  I  part  with  you !  Dear  \ 
delight  of  my  eyes  and  joy  of  my  heart , 
mufl  I  to-morrow  refign  you  for  ever!" 
Avaro  fighs  piteoufly,  and  locking  them 
up  again  in  his  box,  goes  out  groaning 

like 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

like  one  who  follows  his  firfl  born  to 
the  grave. 

Now  turn  your  eyes  to  a  very  diffe 
rent  chara&er  ;  I  mean  Benevolus.  It 
is  love  only  that  makes  the  difference. 
Benevolus  owes  a  fum  of  money  to  his 
neighbour  Agathos.  Benevolus  pof- 
feffes  not  only  that  delicate  fenfe  of  ho 
nor,  and  that  nice  regard  to  reputation, 
thofe  laudable  motives  to  duty  which 
animate  all  men  of  honor  ;  but  he  feels 
fome  of  a  fweeter  and  ftill  ftronger  na 
ture. — Benevolus  loves  his  neighbour 
Agathos  ;  hence  he  takes  an  intereft 
in  his  welfare.  Agathos,  in  lending  this 
money,  fhewed  a  confidence  in  Bene 
volus.  Benevolus  is  eager  to  evince 
that  it  was  well-founded.  Agathos,  may 
by  this  time  be  wanting  his  money, — -Be 
nevolus  feels  an  anxiety  to  replace  it. 
Benevolus  has  reafon  to  believe  that  it 
would  be  a  pleafure  to  Agathos  to  re- 
z  2  ceire 


256         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

ceive  it — Benevolus  haflens  to  give  him 
that  pleafure. 

"  I  ONCE,  faid  the  charming  Pulche- 
ria,   owed   a   neighbouring  woman,    a 
fum  :    On  going  to  her  houfe   to  pay 
it,  I  met  one  of  her  daughters,  whofe 
drefs  ihewed  a  tattered  wardrobe  :  my 
heart  rejoiced  that  the  fupply  of  their 
wants  was  at  hand :  and   had  I,  conti 
nued  the  dear   girl,  been    in  fufficient 
circumftances,  nothing  would  have  made 
me  happier   than  to  have  owed  them 
ten  times  as  much." — Q  for  more  love ; 
more  love  !  Without  this,  there  can  be 
not  only  no    pleafure,  but    indeed   no 
Jleadinefs  in  the   payment    of  debts.— 
Great  ftrefs  I  know  has  been   laid   oa 
what  is  called  a  fenfe ,  of  honor  :  But  a 
mere  man  of  honor  is  an  unfafe  debtor. 
Jn  thofe  corrupted  countries,  where  the 
laws  and  fa/hi 'ons  are  not  very  decidedly 
in  favour  of  juftice,  men  of  honor  have 

been 


THJE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       257 

been  found  to  fit  perfe&ly  eafy  under 
the  weight  of  their  debts. 

MISOCHRISTIS  is  a  man  of  honor;  but 
he  lives  in  a  country  where  it  happens  not 
to  be  thefa/hion  for  men  of  honor  to  pay 
their  debts  under  three  or  four  years. 
Mifochriftis,  you  fee,  is  furrounded  by 
a  croud  of  creditors,  who  are  impor 
tunate  with  him  for  their  money.  Of 
ten  had  he  avoided  them  before  by 
making  his  fervants  deny  him ;  but, 
unfortunately,  that  ftratagem  would  not 
anfwer  to  day,  for  they  poped  in  upon 
him  before  his  ufual  hour  of  rifing. 
He  at  firft  determined  not  to  ftir  out  of 
his  chamber ;  but  they  as  obftinately 
determined  not  to  ftir  until  they  faw 
him.  He  then  ordered  his  fervant  to 
tell  them  that  he  was  indifpofed  and 
could  fpeak  to  no  body ;  but  the  news 
of  his  indifpofition  did  not  foften  them 
in  the  leaft : — See  him  they  mult. 
Whereon  he  fent  word  that  he  would 

furrender? 


958       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

furrender,  and  immediately  comes  to  a 
parley. 

"  How  now,  gentlemen,"  fays  he, 
"  can't  a  perfon  be  fick  in  his  own 
"  houfe  ?  Give  me  leave  to  tell  you, 
"  that  you  don't  behave  handfomely. 

"  WHAT  have  you  to  fay,  Mr  Rhe- 
"  don  ?  You  made  me  a  coach  I  fancy 
"  about  three  years  ago  ;  and  have  I 
"  not  paid  you  twenty  piftoles  on  ac- 
"  count  ?  Indeed  you  are  vaftly  to  be 
"  pitied  !  Go,  go,  don't  be  afraid  of 
"  your  money  ;  no  body  lofes  any  thing 
"  by  me.  See  there  is  an  honefl  man 
"  who  has  been  my  baker  thefe  fix 
"  years ;  he  knows  how  to  behave  him- 
"  felf  to  a  perfon  of  my  diftin&ion ; 
44  he  has  had  great  patience,  and  he 
"  {hall  not  be  a  fufferer  by  it.  Mr  Rhe- 
"  don,  your  fervant, — I  have  fomething 
"  to  fay  to  thefe  gentlemen, — you  will 
"  call  again. 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   259 

"  MY  good  friend,  Artopolus,  I  have 
"  really  a  regard  Tor  you :  You  ferve 
"  me  extremely  well.  How  do  you 
*'  manage  to  make  fuch  good  bread  as 
"  you  fend  me  ?  'Tis  excellent ;  there 
"  can  be  no  fault  found  with  fuch 
"  bread.  Let  me  fee  what  it  is  I  owe 
"  you  ?  Two  thoufand  three  hundred 
"  and  forty-fix  livres — That's  juft  what 
"  I  owe  you. — Well,  I  fhall  not  exa- 
"  mine  your  account ;  I  don't  queflion 
"  but  it  is  right.  Two  thoufand  three 
"  hundred  and  odd  livres.  I  fliall  be 
"  able  to  pay  you. — Well,  Mr.  Arto- 
"  polus,  the  firfl  money  I  receive  fliall 
"  be  yours.  You  fhall  not  be  at  the 
"  trouble  of  coming  for  it  ;  'tis  not 
"  reafonable  you  fhould  ; — why  man  'tis 
"  you  who  keep  me  alive. 

"  So,  here  is  my  wine  merchant : — 
"  I  have  longed  for  an  opportunity,  my 
"  friend,  to  take  you  to  tafk.  You 
"  know  full  well,  Mr.  Vintner,  that 

"  you 


26o        THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

"  you  have  a  pleafure  in  poifoning  me 
"  with  your  wine.  What  the  devil  is 
"  it  you  put  into  it  ?  I  cannot  drink 
"  three  bottles  but  it  deprives  me  of 
"my  underflanding ;  and  yet  it  is  mo- 
"  ney  you  want — Go  about  your  bufi- 
"  nefs — go ;  people  who  expe£t  to  be 
"  paid  never  ferve  their  cuftomers  in 
"  that  manner.  You  {hall  have  no 
"  money  till  every  body  elfe  is  paid,  if 
"  it  were  only  to  teach  you  to  fell  good 
"  wine. 

"  As  for  you,  Monfieur  Guillaumet, 
"  I  am  quite  afhamed  to  have  been  fo 
"  long  without  paying  you.  I  am  fen- 
"  fible  of  all  the  complaints  you  have 
"  againft  me.  You  have  cloathed  me 
"  and  my  whole  family  thefe  five  years, 
"  and  I  have  not  as  yet  paid  you  a  fous. 
"  I  promifed  to  pay  you  towards  the 
"  end  of  the  laft  year,  but  I  difappoint- 
cc  ed  you. — Is  not  that  all  you  have  to 
"  fay  to  me  ?  You  know  me  very  well, 

"  Monfieur 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTok.  261 

**  Monfieur  Guillaumet  ;  do  you  ima- 
"  gine  I  could  be  fo  cruel  as  to  let  you 
"  be  all  this  time  out  of  your  money, 
"  after  you  had  difburfed  fuch  confi- 
"  derable  fums  for  my  ufe,  if  my  ten- 
"  ants  did  but  pay  me  ?  I  muft  be  a 
u  great  villain  if  I  could  behave  after 
"  that  manner :  But  they  will  pay  me 
"  by  and  by,  and  then  you  fhall  have 
"  your  money. — -Your  fervant, — -Give 
"  me  leave  to  fpeak  to  that  gentle- 
M  woman. 

"  GOOD  morrow,  Mrs.  Pernelle,  I 
u  fuppofe  you  are  come  to  demand 
*c  your  money  for  thofe  thirty  pieces 
"  of  linen  which  I  had  of  you  two 
u  years  ago  ?  Well^  I  cannot  pay  you 
"  very  fooii.  You  fee  what  a  number 
"  of  people  I  have  promifed  already. 
"  But  you  can  afford  to  wait  a  little. 
"  You  are  well  to  pafs  !"— "  No,  Sir, 
u  you  are  miftaken,  my  circumftances 
?c  are  very  indifferent «3> — "  Oh,  fo  much 

"  the 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 
"  the  worfe,  my   good  miftrefs :  when 
"  people  cannot  afford  to  give  credit* 
u  they  fhould  never  pretend  to  fell. 

"  As  to  the  reft  of  you,  my  good 
"  friends,"  fays  Mifochriftis,  addreffing 
himfelf  to  thofe  creditors  who  had  not 
as  yet  received  audience  :  "  I  fancy  I 
"  don't  owe  you  any  great  matters. 
™  You  fee  I  am  endeavouring  to  regu^ 
"  late  my  affairs.  Give  me  a  little  more 
"  time  ;  and  if  I  can  do  no  better  at 
"  prefent,  I  will  at  lead  look  over  and 
"  fettle  your  accounts." 

As  foon  as  Mifochriftis  had  finifhed 
thefe  words,  he  flew  from  them  like 
lightening,  leaving  his  creditors  fo  afto^ 
niflied  at  his  impudence,  that  he  was 
quite  out  of  their  hearing  before  they 
had  recollected  themfelves  fufficiently  to 
make  him  a  reply. 

BUT  if  men  of  honor  have  been  bad 
pay-mafters,  becaufe  punctuality  was  un- 
fafliionable,  they  have  been  found  equal- 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    263 

ly  fo  in  thofe  happy  play-times,  when 
their  good  old  mafter,  the  LAW,  fell 
drowfy,  and  took  no  notice  of  his  pu 
pils  actions. 

YOUNG  Adraflus,  hard  run  for  mo 
ney,  determines  to  try  his  friends.  He 
goes  to  Agathocles,  and  in  the  bated 
breath  and  whifpering  humblenefs  of 
a  borrower,  begs  the  loan  of  a  thou- 
fand  guineas. — A  good  round  fum  !  But 
the  benevolent  Agathocles,  a  ftranger 
to  fufpicion,  grants  the  loan.  Adraflus 
pockets  the  money  and  rides  off,  the 
happiefl  man  in  the  world.  For  three 
years  the  good  Agathocles  got  nothing 
from  Adraflus  but  empty  promifes  and 
forrowful  details  of  difappointments  and 
lofes.  At  length  a  war  breaks  out,  and 
the  country  wanting  money,  the  prefs 
is  converted  into  a  mint,  and  paper 
dollars  are  (truck  off  by  the  ream. 
Thefe  the  legiflator  pronounces  to  be 
of  equal  value  with  gold  and  filver, 
A  a  and 


264         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

and  threatens  trouble  to  the  tory  that 
ftall  refufe  them  as  fuch.  "  Hurra  for 
us  debtors"  is  now  the  cry.  Blefled 
times !  Whole  caravans  of  honeft  men 
are  now  in  motion  to  pay  their  debts. 
Adraftus  joins  the  happy  throng  ;  and 
taking  a  witnefs  with  him,  waits  on 
the  good  old  Agathocles,  whofe  gene 
rous  loan  of  a  thoufand  guineas ,  he  pays 
off  with  half  a  quire  of  paper  cur 
rency — worth  about  £.  40. 

ALAS  !  poor  honor !  when  fevered 
from  the  love  of  God,  and  of  man, 
Avhat  art  thou  but  an  empty  name!  Had 
Adraflus  loved  his  God,  could  he  thus 
have  defpifed  that  golden  precept  which 
enjoins  him — to  do  unto  others  as  he  would 
that  others  Jhould  do  unto  him  ? — Had 
Adraflus  loved  the  generous  Agatho- 
cles,  could  he  have  thus  requited  him 
evil  for  good — could  he  have  thus  re- 
payed  the  nobleft  friendfnip  with  the 

bafeft 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         265 

bafeft   ingratitude? — Let  the  following 
true  ftory  reply. 

A  YOUNG  gentleman,  whom  we  {hall 
call  Leander,  had  the  good  fortune  to 
be  born  of  parents,  who  well  knew  that 
happinefs  confifts  rather  in  the  good 
qualities  of  the  heart,  than  in  the  rich 
contents  of  the  ftrong  box.  He  was 
therefore  early  taught  to  look  on  the 
love  of  God  and  of  his  neighbour,  as 
the  beft  wealth  that  man  or  angel  can 
poflefs.  His  progrefs  in  virtue  was 
equal  to  the  fondeft  expectations  of  his 
parents.  Truth,  honor  and  goodnefs, 
(hone  fo  confpicuoufly  in  all  his  con 
duit,  that  to  love  him,  one  needed  but 
to  know  him.  At  the  age  of  three  and 
twenty  he  lofl  his  father;  and  pofleffing 
but  a  very  fmall  fortune,  he  refolved 
to  go  into  trade.  Leander  had  five  or 
fix  mercantile  friends,  each  of  whom 
throwing  in  a  couple  of  hundred  pounds 
worth  of  goods,  made  him  up  a  pretty 

aflbrtment. 


2-66       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

affortment.  With  great  alacrity  he  en 
tered  upon  this  new  employment ;  but, 
as  it  would  feem,  merely  to  evince  the 
error  of  thofe  parents,  who  think  that 
religion  alone  is  fufficient  to  make  their 
children  happy.  His  father  had  taken 
great  pains  to  fit  him  for  heaven ;  but 
had  not  fufficiently  inftrufted  him  to 
make  his  way  good  here  on  earth*  He 
had  fcarcely  ever  told  Leander,  that 
though  it  be  happinefs  to  love,  it  is 
ftill  virtue  to  be  prudent ;  and,  that  to 
mingle  the  harmleffnefs  of  the  dove  with 
the  wifdom  of  the  ferpent,  and  to  take 
head  of  men^  even  while  he  loves  them, 
are  commandments  of  the  Great  Tea 
cher  himfelf.  He  had  hardly  ever  men 
tioned  to  Leander,  the  importance  of 
receipts,  vouchers,  and  written  con- 
trafts  ;  nor  related  to  him  the  many 
fad  inftances  of  unfufpe&ing  goodnefs 
fnared  and  ruined  by  infidious  villainy ; 
and  how  often,  for  want  of  receipts, 

the 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         267 

the  bed  men  have  been  compelled  to  a 
fecond  payment  of  debts  that  have  kept 
their  nofes  to  the  grindftone  half  then- 
lives  after.  No ;  but  to  confider  all 
men  as  the  children  of  God,  and  co 
heirs  of  glory ;  to  love  them  as  him- 
felf,  and  to  think  evil  of  no  man — thefe 
were  the  only  fentiments  which  Lean- 
der  was  taught :  Thefe  he  carried  with 
him  behind  the  counter.  Leander  was 
foon  found  out  to  be  -&jine  young  man  ! 
every  body  admired  his  goods,  and 
wifhed  to  buy  if  they  could  but  have 
a  little  credit.  Leander  anticipated  every 
wifh,  and  credited  every  body. 

IN  a  very  Ihort  time,  out  of  a  thou- 
fand  pounds  worth  of  goods,  he  had 
not  a  remnant  left.  His  rivals  were 
fit  to  burft  with  fpleen  and  envy  at  fuch 
prodigious  fales  ;  while  his  friends  af- 
cribed  fuch  fingular  fuccefs  to  divine 
interpofition.  At  the  appointed  time 
his  creditors  demanded  their  money. 
A  a  2  The 


268         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

The  too  credulous  Leander  was  not 
prepared  to  pay.  Unable  to  wait  longer, 
they  feized  on  his  little  patrimony,  and 
threw  him  into  prifon.  Cruel  parents, 
who  thus  expofe  your  children  uncover 
ed  by  the  ihield  of  prudence,  to  the 
Jiery  darts  of  fraud  and  villainy  !  O  re 
member  that  the  want  of  prudence,  is 
too  often,  even  in  the  belt  men,  fuc- 
ceeded  by  the  want  of  virtue ;  and  that, 
in  many  inftances,  the  devil  himfelf  afks 
not  an  abler  advocate  for  vice  than  po 
verty.  Happily  for  Leander,  his  vir 
tue  was  full  grown,  and  of  a  good  con- 
ftitution.  He  did  not.,  as  thoufands 
have  done,  curfe  that  eafmefs  t>f  na 
ture,  that  benevolence  of  fentirnent, 
which  had  duped  and  betrayed  him  ; 
he  did  not  vow  eternal  war  againft  his 
fpecies,  and  refolve  to  praftife  in  future 
the  fame  arts  which  had  wrought  hh 
ruin.  No  !  fraud  and  injuftice  now  ap 
peared  to  turn  hateful  as  the  hags  of  hell. 

While, 


THE  IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       269 

While,  by  contrail,  his  love  of  virtue 
was  exalted  to  adoration.  To  have  de 
ceived,  though  unintentionally,  and 
thence  to  have  injured  his  patrons,  cau- 
fed  Leander  much  grief;  but  it  was 
grief  unimbittered  by  the  gall  of  guilt. 
To  have  difcovered  fuch  a  want  of  vir 
tue  and  humanity  among  men,  excited 
emotions,  but  they  were  the  emotions 
of  compaffion,  not  of  refentment.  Still 
his  prayers  and  his  benevolence  went  up 
before  God.  After  fifty  days  confine 
ment,  the  ftill  virtuous  Leander  was 
difcharged  from  prifon,  and  from  all 
legal  obligation  to  pay  his  former  debts. 
He  then  went  round  again  among  hi# 
debtors ;  many  of  whom  affefted  by 
his  pathetic  remonftrances,  difcharged 
their  accounts.  With  this  money  >  pur- 
chafing  a  finall  aflbrtment  of  goods,  he 
entered  a  fecond  time  into  trade,  and 
with  becoming  caution.  At  the  expi 
ration  of  five  years,  having  faved  enough 

for 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

for  that  purpofe,  he  haftened  up  to 
town  to  pay  off  his  former  debts,  and 
to  evince  the  divinity  of  that  love, 
which  cannot  be  happy  while  it  owes 
any  man  any  thing.  He  called  toge 
ther  his  former  creditors  to  a  tavern, 
where,  by  his  orders,  a  handioine  in 
ner  was  prepared  for  them*  He  receiv 
ed  them  with  the  utmoft  cordiality,  and, 
without  having  as  yet  gratified  their 
curiofity  as  to  the  occafion  of  the  meet 
ing,  he  politely  prefled  them  to  fit 
down  to  dine.  On  turning  up  their 
plates,  every  man  beheld  in  a  heap  of 
ihining  gold,  the  full  amount,  princi 
pal  and  inter  eft,  of  his  former  claim 
againft  Leander. 

**  Lord,  who's  the  happy  man  that  may 

"  To  thy  bleft  courts  repair  ? 
"  Not  ftranger  like  to  vifit  them, 

14  But  to  inhabit  there. 

*'  'Tis  he  who  to  his  vows  and  truft, 

"  Has  ever  firmly  flood  ; 
"  And  tho'  he  promife  to  his  lofs, 

41  He  makes  his  promife  good." 

WE 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   271 

WE  have  been  copious  on  this  part 
of  our  fubjeft,  for  a  very  plain  reafon  : 
the  payment  of  our  debts  is  a  duty 
that  occurs  fo  frequently,  that  whatever 
tends  to  make  it  a  pleafure,  mufl  con- 
fequently  add  greatly  to  our  happinefs  ; 
and  have  abundantly  fhewn  it  is  lovee 
and  love  alone  that  can  make  honefty 
at  all  times  a  pleafure. 

BUT  there  are  many  other  duties,  of 
equal  importance  to  our  own,  and  to 
the  happinefs  of  fociety,  to  the  cheer 
ful  performance  of  which,  love  is  as 
indifpenfibly  neceflary.  This  man's  ava 
rice  may  claim  a  part  of  our  eftate  ;  or 
that  man's  unprovoked  rage  may  infult 
our  perfon,  or  flander  our  name ;  now, 
to  bear  all  this  with  temper,  and  to  ne- 
gociate  fo  difcreetly  with  thefe  our  un 
generous  neighbours,  as  to  difarm  their 
paffions,  and  to  make  an  honorable  and 
lading  peace,  is  certainly  a  moll  de- 
fireable  event ;  but  it  is  an  event  which 

nothing 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

nothing  but  almighty  love  can  accom- 
plifo.  And  through  defeft  of  this  love, 
how  frequently  have  we  feen  the  flight- 
eft  incroachments,  or  provocations  t& 
ftir  up  fuch  horrid  paffions,  in  the  bo- 
foms  of  neighbours,  and  to  hurry  them 
into  fuch  (hameful  exceflfes  of  injury 
and  revenge,  as  have  ended  in  the  de- 
ftruction  of  each  others  fouls,  bodies, 
and  eftates ! 

LET  the  real  hiftory  of  goodman 
Gruff  and  his  neighbour  Grub,  eluci 
date  this  melancholy  truth. 

THESE  two  men,  whofe  fortunes  were 
ample,  lived  near  neighbours  to  each 
other ;  fo  near,  that  their  lands,  un 
moved  by  the  paflion  of  their  owners, 
lay  and  flept  together  in  the  mod  friend 
ly  embraces.  That  good  being  who 
had  thus  appointed  their  lots  together 
in  the  fame  pleafant  places,  had  un- 
queftionably  intended,  that  they  fliould 
learn  from  their  owu  experience,  how 

happy 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    2/3 

happy  a  thing  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell 
together  in  unity.  But  alas !  the  ways 
of  peace  they  knew  not,  for  they  were 
both  ftrangers  to  love ;  and,  by  natu 
ral  confequence,  both  proud,  felfifh, 
irafcible  and  vindictive.  On  a  refurvey 
of  his  plantation,  goodman  Gruff  found 
that  his  neighbour  Grub  had  about 
two  acres  and  a  quarter  of  his  ground 
in  pofleffion. 

No  fooner  had  he  made  this  impor 
tant  difcovery,  than  he  fent  orders  to 
Mr  Grub,  and  not  in  the  mofl  gentle 
terms,  inftantly  to  remove  his  fences, 
from  that  fpot  of  ground,  or  he  fhould 
kdopt  meafures  to  compel  him.  From 
no  friend  on  earth,  would  Mr.  Grub 
have  brooked  fuch  a  meffage  ;  but  from 
Gruff,  it  was  altogether  infupportable. 
A  reply,  fuch  as  pride  and  hatred  could 
dictate,  was  immediately  made.  A  law 
fuit,  of  courfe,  commenced. 

THIS 


274        TH£    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

THIS  produced  the  effeft  that  ufually 
attends  law-fuits, — "  a  death  unto  friend- 
fhip,  and  a  new  birth  unto  hatred." 
Every  expence  incurred  in  the  courfc 
of  the  fuit  inflamed  their  mutual  hat 
red  ;  for  they  never  failed  to  fet  down 
thefe  expences  to  the  account  of  each 
others  roguery  :  They  never  deigned  to 
falute,  or  to  exchange  a  word ;  and, 
if  accident  at  any  time  threw  them  into 
the  fame  company,  they  caft  fuch  eyes 
of  death  on  one  another,  and  were  fo 
pointedly  brutal  in  their  manners,  as  to 
fhock  all  who  were  not  loft  to  humanity. 
To  be  threatened  with  the  lofs  of  two 
acres  of  land,  or  to  have  that  much  with 
held,  though  each  poffefled  many  more 
than  they  could  cultivate,  was  enough 
in  fuch  fordid  fouls,  to  awaken  the 
moft  deadly  paflions.  Thefe  were  fopn 
communicated  to  the  reft  of  their  fa 
milies.  The  wives  and  daughters,  could 
not,  even  at  church,  trept  each  other 

with 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          275 

with  common  civility ;  and  the  fons 
often  difgraced  themfelves  in  bloody 
battles.  Nor  was  this  all,  for  then- 
poor  unoffending  cattle,  their  hogs  and 
horfes,  who,  poor  things  !  knew  not  the 
right  leg  from  the  left,  were  made  to 
feel  the  fad  effefts  of  this  unnatural 
flrife :  For,  if  carelefsly  wandering  in 
queft  of  grafs  or  roots,  their  homely 
fare,  they  happened  in  lucklefs  hour, 
to  ftray  within  the  hoftile  lines,  ftraight 
a  troop  of  angry  flaves,  with  worrying 
dogs  and  furious  flones,  attacked  them: 
or  flily  taking  and  loading  them  with 
yokes,  doomed  them  to  wafte  full  many 
a  day  in  woe  and  pain. 

"  CURSED  be  their  anger  ^  for  it  was 

fierce ',  and  their  wrath  ^  for  it  was  cruel. 

0  my  foul!  come  not  thou  into  their  fecret^ 

unto  their  aj/embly ;    mine   honor,  be   not 

thou  united!"  JACOB, 

B b  THUS 


276    THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

THUS  we  fee  men,  though  born  to 
\valk  with  angels  high  in  falvation, 
and  the  dims  of  blifs,  afting,  becaufe 
deflitute  of  love,  jufb  as  if  they  were 
candidates  for  the  fociety  of  infernal 
fpirits ! 

A  STRANGER  to  the  origin  of  this 
(hameful  conteft,  would  reasonably  have 
luppofed,  from  the  fury  with  which  it 
was  conducted,  that  the  aftors  in  it? 
expected  forne  fignal  advantages  from 
it.  "  Surely,"  would  he  have  faid, 
4i  vaft  fields  of  fertile  earth,  with  migh- 
"  ty  forefts,  and  flocks  and  herds,  with 
"  heaps  of  golden  treafure,  mufl  de- 
a  pend  on  this  important  fuit."  But 
what  would  have  been  his  aftonifhment, 
on  finding,  that  the  dear  bought  pur- 
chafe  of  two  acres  of  po-:r  land,  was 
the  whole  extent  of  their  hopes ! 

€C  Verily,  man  without  love  is  as  the 
wild  afs's  colt,  andftupid  as  the  beqji  that 
pcrijhetb" 

BUT 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        277 

BUT  to  return  to  our  litigious  far 
mers,  whom  we  left  juft  engaged  in  a 
fuit,  Gruff  againfl  Grub,  for  two  acres 
and  a  quarter  of  land,  held  and  culti 
vated  by  the  latter,  but  found  by  a  re- 
furvey  to  belong  to  the  former.  The 
cafe  feemed  fufficiently  fimple,  and,  as 
was  generally  thought,  would  foon  be 
knocked  off  the  doquet,  and  with  but 
fmall  damages.  But  being  found,  as 
generally  happens,  much  more  compli 
cated  than  it  had  at  firft  appeared  j  it 
was  kept  fo  long  in  the  different  courts 
in  which  it  had  the  fortune  to  be  tried, 
that  goodman  Gruff  was  often  heard 
to  fay,  that  cc  though  he  had  gained 
"  his  fuit,  yet,  through  lofs  of  time, 
"  negledt  of  bufmefs,  tavern  charges, 
4C  and  extra  fees  to  lawyers,  he  had 
c-  expended  at  lead  one  hundred  half- 
6C  joes."  While  poor  Grub,  obliged 
to  carry  on  fo  long  a  fuit  with  monies 
borrowed  on  an  exorbitant  premium, 

incurred 


27§       THE    IMMORTAL     MENTOR. 

incurred    a    debt  which    coft    him    the 
*  whole  traft,  together  with  the  two  acres 
and  a  quarter  which  he    had  fo  obfti- 
nately  defended. 

"  BLESSED  are  the  meek,  for  they  foal! 
inherit  the  earth" 

HAD  thefe  unfortunate  men  but  loved, 
they  might  have  lived  happy.  Like 
good  Job's  children,  "  they  would  haw 
gone  and  feaftcd  in  their  houfes  each  man 
his  day^  and  feni  and  called  for  his  neigh 
bour  to  eat  and  to  drink  with  him*'  .And 
then  having  his  heart  warmed  and  ex~ 
panded  with  generous  love,  had  good- 
man  Gruff  difcovered  that  his  neigh- 
bour  held  unknowingly  an  acre  or  two 
of  his  land,  he  would'  have  fcorned  to 
notice  it. 

ASK  the  benevolent  old  Ralph,  whe* 
ther  he  would  thus  have  threatened  and 
perfecuted  his  neighbour  Paul  for  a 
couple  of  acres  ?  Obferve  how  he  fhakes 
his  venerable  locks,  and,  with  a  coun 
tenance 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

tenance  ftrongly  marking  his  abhorrence 
of  fuch  a  thought,  thus  replies : — 

"  No,  my  friend,  two  acres  of  land 
"  fliould  never  have  fet  me  and  my 
"  neighbour  Paul  at  variance.  Forty 
"  years  have  we  lived  near  each  other, 
"  and,  thank  God,  it  has  been  forty 
"  years  of  peace  and  friendfhip.  Paul 
"  appears  to  me  now  like  a  brother  ; 
"  and  the  affe&ion  that  I  have  for  him, 
*c  gives  me  a  double  enjoyment  of  what 
"  I  have,  becaufe  of  the  pleafure  I  find 
cc  in  communicating  of  it  to  him.  If  I 
"  take  a  hive,  he  is  fure  to  receive  a 
"  plate  of  the  choicefl  comb.  If  I  kill 
"  a  fat  mutton,  the  beft  quarter  is  fent 
"  to  him.  His  company  heightens  my 
"  joys,  his  counfel  and  affiftance  leffen 
"  the  weight  of  niy  forrows.  Toge- 
cc  ther  we  enjoy  the  good  things  of 
"  this  life,  and  together  we  often  con- 
'"  verfe  about  the  happinefs  of  that  bet- 
"  ter  life  to  come.  Now,  lhall  I  mar 
B  b  2  "  all 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

'*  all  this  fweet  heavenly  peace,  and 
"  plunge  myfelf  into  hellifli  hatred  and 
"  ftrife,  by  quarrelling  with  my  good 
"  friend  Paul  on  account  of  two  acres  of 
"  ground  ?  No,  no,  no  ;  fooner  than  fee 
4C  that  hated  day,  let  thefe  eyes  be  clofed 
"  for  ever ;  and  let  my  grey  hairs  go 
"  down  with  joy  to  the  grave !  Take 
"  two  acres  of  land  from  Paul  ?  O  how 
*4  gladly  would  I  give  him  a  thoufand  V9 

BUT  fuppofing,  Father  Ralph,  that 
inftead  of  the  gentle  Paul,  it  had 
been  your  deftiny  to  dwell  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  churlifh  Mr. 
Gruff,  how  would  you  have  relifhed 
his  orders  to  relinquifli  two  acres  of 
your  land  ? 

"  WHY,  I  would  have  endeavoured 
"  an  accommodation,  by  propofing  a 
"  reference  of  our  matter  to  fome 
u  of  our  well  informed  and  impartial 
"  neighbours. 3> 

BUT, 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   28l 

BUT,  what  if  he  had  replied,  that  fince 
by  the  late  variation  of  the  compafs, 
the  limits  of  his  traft  were  fo  en 
larged  as  to  take  in  thofe  two  acres 
of  yours,  he  claimed  them  by  virtue 
of  the  law,  and  would  have  nothing 
to  do  with  arbitrators  ? 

"  WHAT  would  I  have  done  ?  Why, 
"  I  would  have  pitied  him — from  the 
"  bottom  of  my  heart  would  I  have 
"  pitied  him  for  fuch  a  fentiment. 
"  And  on  taking  my  leave,  would 
"  have  addrefled  him  in  fuch  words 
"  as  thefe: — Neighbour  Gruff,  the  good 
"  for  which  you  feem  fo  ready  to 
"  contend,  deferves  not  to  be  put  in 
"  the  fcale  againfl  the  numerous  evils 
"  of  a  law-fuit.  Let  famifhed  fea- 
"  men  quarrel  and  fight  for  a  mor- 
"  fel  of  bread,  or  draw  lots  for  each 
"  others  lives,  but  for  us  who  live 
"  in  a  land  fo  thickly  ftrewed  with 
"  the  bleflings  of  heaven,  that  we 

need 


282         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

"  need  but  flretch  forth  the  hand  of 
"  induflry  and  we  fhall  gather  abun- 
"  dance — for  us  to  go  to  law  for  a 
66  flip  of  ground,  were  a  reproach  to 
"  us,  both  as  men  and  as  chriftians. 
"  I  feel,  neighbour  Gruff,  that  love 
"  and  peace  are  the  greateft  bleffings 
"  of  life,  and,  well  knowing  that  law- 
"  fuits  are  no  friend  to  thofe,  but, 
"  on  the  contrary,  their  moil  mortal 
"  enemies,  I  wifh  never  to  have  any 
Ci  thing  to  do  with  law- fuits— I  mean 
"  on  fuch  trifling  occafions*  There- 
"  fore,  for  the  fake  of  God,  the  lo- 
u  ver  of  peace,  and  for  our  mutual 
46  good,  I  cheerfully  compliment  you 
u  with  thefe  two  acres  for  which  you 
<c  are  fo  ready  to  go  to  law  with  me. 
"  And  I  think  my  heart  gives  me 
"  comfortable  affurance  that  I  fhall 
"  never  want  them." 

"  BLESSED    are  the  peace  maker -j,  for 
iheyjhall  be  called  the   children  of  God.'9 

LOVE 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    283 

LOVE  adds  greatly  to  the  happinefs 
©f  man,  becaufe  it  puts  us  in  poffeffion 
and  gives  us  the  enjoyment  of  every 
thing  that  is  good  and  defireable  in 
this  life.  By  it,  we  may,  without 
greedy  avarice,  or  its  cares  and  drudge 
ries,  fwim  in  tides  of  wealth.  With 
out  proud  ambition  or  any  of  its  dif 
ficulties  ,and  dangers,  we  may  afcend 
to  the  higheft  feats  of  honor :  without 
fordid  voluptuoufnefs,  or  its  difeafes  and 
difguft,  we  may  balk  in  the  lap  of  true 
pleafures  ;  without  its  pride,  luxury  or 
floth,  or  any  of  its  fnares  and  tempta 
tions,  we  may  feaft  at  the  table  of  pro- 
fperity.  We  may  pluck  the  richeft  fruits 
of  fcience  and  learning,  without  the 
pain  of  laborious  ftudy :  and  we  may 
tafte  the  fweets  of  virtue  and  goodnefs 
without  their  toils.  For,  are  not  all 
thefe  things  ours,  if  w^e  make  them  fo, 
by  finding  much  delight  and  fatisfaclion 
in  them  ?  Does  not  out  neighbour's 

wealth 


284          THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

wealth  enrich  us,  if  we  are  happy  in 
his  pofleffing  and  ufmg  it  ?  Does  not 
his  preferment  advance  us,  if  our  fpirit 
rifes  with  it  into  a  cordial  complacency  ? 
Does  not  his  pleafure  delight  us,  if  we 
are  pleafed  with  his  enjoyment  of  it  ? 
Does  not  his  profperity  blefs  us,  if  our 
hearts  exult  and  triumph  in  it  ?  This  is 
the  true  Philofopher's  ftone,  the  divine 
magic  of  love  which  conveys  all  things 
into  our  hands,  giving  us  2  pofleflion 
and  ufe  in  them  of  which  nothing  can 
deprive  us. 

BY  virtue  of  this,  (as  Paul  juftly  ob- 
ferves)  "  Being  forrowful  we  yet  always 
"  rejoice  ;  having  nothing  we  yet  poffefs  all 
66  things."  Neither  is  this  property  in 
our  neighbour's  goods  merely  imagin 
ary,  but  real  and  fubftantial ;  indeed,  for 
more  real  to  the  true  lover  of  men,  than 
it  is  generally  to  the  legal  oyvners  of 
them.  For  how  is  property  in  things 
otherwife  to  be  confidered  than  by  the 

fatisfa&ion 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         285 

fatisfaftion  which  they  yield  to  the  pre- 
fumed  owner  ?  And  if  the  benevolent 
man  find  this  fatisfadion  in  them,  and 
in  a  high  degree,  why  are  they  not  truly 
his  ?  May  not  the  tree  with  fome  de 
gree  of  propriety  be  called  yours  if  you 
can  pluck  and  enjoy  its  fruits  at  plea- 
fure  ?  Nay,  does  not  the  propriety  more 
truly  belong  to  you,  if  you  equally  en 
joy  the  benefit,  without  partaking  the 
trouble  and  expence  which  fall  on  the 
real  owner  ?  A  loving  man  therefore 
can  never  be  poor  or  miferable,  except 
all  the  world  fhould  come  to  want  and 
diftrefs,  for  while  his  neighbour  has  any 
thing,  he  will  enjoy  it — "  rejoicing  with 
<c  thofe  who  rejoice." 

BUT  love  not  only  advances  us  to 
the  higheft  pitch  of  happinefs  attain 
able  in  this  life,  but,  like  a  true  friend, 
it  will  accompany  us  into  heaven,  and 
there  complete  our  felicity,  by  exalting 

us 


#86         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

us  to  the  fociety  of  "  angels  and  fpirits 
"  °f  juft  men  made  perfefl." 

AMONG  all  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
the  pleafing  perfuafion  has  prevailed, 
that  the  fouls  of  good  men  ihall  pafs 
away  after  death  into  brighter  climes 
than  thefe,  where  affembled  in  the  fweet- 
eft  fociety,  they  fhall  enjoy  pleafures 
which  were  never  permitted  them  to 
tafte  in  this  vale  of  tears. 

THIS  ftrongeft  and  deareft  fentiment 
of  nature,  is  confirmed  by  revelation, 
which  allures  us,  that  heaven,  the  city  of 
the  eternal  King,  is  inhabited  by  a  great 
multitude,  which  no  man  can  number, 
compofed  of  all  the  wife  and  good  that 
ever  exifted  in  the  univerfe  of  God; 
and  who,  now  feparated  from  every  in 
firmity,  dwell  together  in  the  deareft 
amity  and  peace. 

DESIREABL£  indeed  muiT:  an  accefs 
to  fuch  a  fociety  appear  to  us,  who 
dwell  in  thefe  abodes  of  frail  humanity, 

whofe 


¥HE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR*         287 

\vhofe  paffions  are  fo  much  at  variance 
with  our  repofe !  This  man  wounds  us 
by  a  mortifying  negle&,  that  infults 
Us  with  fcorn  and  contempt*  A  third 
cruelly  envies  our  felicity.  A  fourth 
inhumanly  flanders  our  good  name* 
And  a  fifth  goes  to  law  With  us  for  our 
eftate.  While  thofe  few  who  love  us>> 
often  add  to  our  uneafmefs  by  theif 
follies  or  viceSi  W ho  would  not  leave 
fuch  a  wretched  fociety  as  this,  and 
gladly  go  to  mingle  with  thofe  blefifed 
friends,  who  can  no  more  be  miferable 
themfelves,  nor  render  us  fo  ?  Where 
every  countenance  will  fliine  upon  us 
with  fmiles  of  Undiflembled  affe&ion  ; 
and  every  eye  will  beam  unutterable 
k>ve  ?  Where  mighty  angels  will  be  as 
endearingly  attentive  to  Us,  as  fondeft 
bretheren;  while  heavenly  fages  will 
pour  forth  the  treafures  of  their  wifdonx 
to  entertain  us,  though  the  feebleft  of 
faints  ? 

c  c  BUT> 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOiU 

BUT,  alas!  is  it  for  us  whofe 
are  defiled,  and  who  drink  in  iniquity 
like  water,  to  be  numbered  with  thefe 
children  of  God,  and  to  have  our  lot 
among  fuch  faints  ?  Yes  it  is.  For 
though  the  precious  gold  of  Ophir  could 
not  purchafe  fuch  high  honors  for  us  ; 
and  though  rocks  of  proffered  diamonds 
would  not  be  received  in  exchange  ; 
yet  there  is  a  power,  a  fecret  charm, 
that  can  open  for  us  the  eveflafting 
doors,  and  admit  us  into  thofe  courts  of 
glory.  That  charm  is  LOVE,  which, 
by  exercifing  every  odious  pa/lion,  and 
adorning  us  with  its  own  celeftial  gra^ 
ces,  will  fecure  our  welcome,  and  ren 
der  us  dear  to  every  faint  in  paradife. 
And  were  it  not  for  love,  which  thus 
refines  otir  nature,  and  transforms  us 
into  aiigels  of  light,  never  could  we 
mingle  in  the  fociety  of  thofe  heavenly 


BIRDS 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    289 

'"  BIRDS    of   a    feather    flock    toge- 
*c  ther." — As  gentle  cloves,  who  delight 
in  mutual  carefTes,  fly  on  wings  of  ter 
ror,  from  thofe  birds  whofe  fiery  eyes 
threaten   hateful    ftrife ;    fo    angels    of 
love,  muft  retire  with  as  natural  an  ab 
horrence,   from  the  fociety  of  dark  and 
malignant    fpirits.       Between    no    two 
things   in   nature,   does   there   exift    fo 
irreconcilable  an  oppofition,  as  between 
love  and  hatred.     Water  and  oil- — fire 
and  fnow,  may,  by  the  powerful  arts  of 
chemiftry,  be  taught  to  forget  their  na 
tive  antipathies,    and  to   rufli   together 
into  friendly  embraces  :   But  by  no  arts 
can  tender-hearted  love  be  brought  to 
loojv  with  complacency  on  any  appear 
ance  of  hatred   and   miiery.     And   the 
more  ardent  our  love,  the  more  exqui- 
fite  will  be  our   diftrefs,   at  the  view  of 
fuch  fcenes. 

PHILANDER,  whofe  life  is  a  feries  of 
beneficence  that  reflects  honor  on   hu 
man 


290   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

man  nature,  was,  during  the  earlier 
part  of  his  days,  ftrangely  fond  of  that 
moft  vulgar  practice,  boxing.  But  hap 
pening  to  read  Dr.  Blair's  fermon  on 
gentlenefs,  he  was  brought  to  fee  fo 
clearly,  the  beauty  and  bleflednefs  of  a 
benevolent  temper,  that  he  has  ever 
fince  cultivated  it  as  the  brighteft  orna 
ment,  and  higheft  happinefs  of  his  life. 
Philander  often  now  obferves  to  his 
friends,  that  nothing  furprifes  him  more 
than  the  difference  which  he  finds  be 
tween  the  feelings,  of  the  prefent  and 
pad  periods  of  his  life.  That  formerly, 
when  a  ftranger  to  love,  the  fight  of  a 
battle  was  matter  of  fun  to  him  ;  and  a 
broken  head,  or  a  bloody  nofe,  a  mere 
bagatelle,  quite  a  trifle*  But  that  now, 
were  he  compelled  to  fee  two  men  ftri- 
ving  in  battle,  and  with  furious  counte 
nances  and  eyes  darting  hatred,  inflift- 
ing  cruel  blows  on  each  other,  he  verily 
believes  it  would  harrow  up  his  foul 

and 


THE    IMMORTAL     MENTOR.          29! 

and  fill  him  with  infupportable  horror* 
And  fuch,  I  am  confident,  would  be  the 
feelings  of  every  truly  benevolent  heart. 
Now,  if  we  who  are  but  babes  in  love, 
and  whofe  hearts  flill  retain  much  of  their 
former  hardnefs  and  infenfibility,  are, 
notwithftanding,  fo  {hocked  at  the  fight 
of  bad  paffions  ;  how  much  more  would 
the  bleffed  angels,  thofe  pure  fpirits  of 
love,  be  (hocked  at  the  fight  of  fuch 
things  ?  Hence,  it  clearly  appears,  that 
were  God  to  throw  open  the  gates  of 
heaven,  and  to  invite  us  to  enter  with 
all  our  pride,  haughtinefs,  fcorn,  envy 
and  hatred  about  us ;  fo  far  from  being 
welcome  to  the  angels,  we  fhould  turn 
their  heaven  into  hell.  It  would  grieve 
their  generous  bofoms,  to  fee  us  fo 
completely  damned  ;  and  it  would  equal 
ly  fhock  their  feelings  to  fee  us  fo  per- 
feftly  loathfome  and  abominable ;  and 
they  would,  no  doubt,  prefer  their  joint 
petitions  to  God,  for  permiffion  to  re- 
c  c  a  tire 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

tire  into  fome  other  part  of  his  domini 
ons,  where,  far  removed  from  fuch  dif- 
quieting  fcenes,  they  might  renew  their 
joys  in  contemplating  the  beauty  of  each 
others  virtues,  and  in  rejoicing  in  the 
greatnefs  of  their  mutual  blifs.  Would 
we  therefore  gain  a  welcome  admiffion 
into  thofe  blefl  abodes,  where  angels 
and  the  youngeft  fons  of  light,  fpend 
their  blifsful  days  in  joys  unknown  to 
mortal  fenfe — Let  us  Love.  This  is 
the  darling  attribute  of  God ;  "  For 
God  is  love."  And  this  is  the  grace 
that  gives  to  miniftering  fpirits  all  their 
furpaffing  joys  and  glories.  Wafhed  in 
this  heavenly  Jordan,  the  fouleft  leper 
becomes  frefher  than  the  new-born 
babe.  Bathed  in  this  divine  Bethefda, 
the  blackeft  heart  and  moft  malevolent 
fpirit  becomes  whiter  than  fnow.  Mark 
the  glorious  change.  His  eyes,  lately 
glaring  with  infernal  fires,  now  emit 
the  fofteft  beams  of  benevolence.  His 

cheeks 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   293 

cheeks,  once  pale  with  envy,  now  bloom 
with  the  rofy-red  of  joy.  His  counte 
nance,  e'er  while  dark  with  angry  paf- 
fions,  now  wear  the  opening  radiance  of 
friendfhip.  His  voice,  lately  broken  and 
difcordant  with  rage,  is  now  fweeter  than 
mufic ;  his  heart,  once  the  den  of  poi- 
fonous  adders,  is  now  the  abode  of  gen- 
tleft  affe&ion ;  and  he  who  fome  time 
ago  was  the  terror  or  hatred  of  all  v/ho 
knew  him,  is  now  become  the  delight 
of  each  eye  and  joy  of  every  heart.  His 
admiring  friends,  view  him  with  tranf- 
port  as  a  dear  monument  of  the  mighty 
power  of  love  ;  while  holy  angels  wel 
come  him  with  fweeteft  fymphonies, 
and  fill  the  eternal  regions  with  accla 
mations  of  joy.  "  Behold \  this  our  bro^ 
ther  was  loft^  but  is  found,  he  was  dead? 
but  is  alive." 

AND  though  on  our  firft  entrance 
into  the  company  of  blefled  angels,  we 
cannot  be  half  fo  loving  and  lovely  as 

they 


204       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

they  are,  yet  will  not  this  diminifh  their 
affeftion  for  us ;  for,  clearly  perceiving, 
that  though  but  babes,  we  yet  poifefs 
the  fair  features  and  precious  qualities 
of  godlike  fouls,  they  will  cordially  love 
and  tenderly  embrace  us,  as  their  young 
er  brethren,  and  as  infant  angels.  While 
meeting  with  no  cruel  obftruftions  to 
our  love,  as  in  this  world,  but  on  the 
contrary,  finding  ourfelves  beloved  and 
careffed  by  each  faint  and  angel,  we 
ihall  daily  become  more  grateful  and 
affeftionate,  and  consequently  more  love 
ly  in  the  eyes,  and  more  dear  to  the 
hearts,  of  thofe  blefled  people.  And 
now,  what  words  can  exprefs,  what  fan 
cy  can  conceive  the  various  and  exqui- 
fite  pleafures,  that  we  may  expeft  to 
meet  with,  in  fo  wife,  fo  all-accompliihed 
and  endearing  a  fociety  ?  If  the  converfa- 
tion  of  great  and  good  naturedivits^  be  fo 
highly  entertaining,  that  men  of  tafte 
would  give  any  thing  to  fpend  an  even* 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       295 

ing  with  a  party  of  fuch ;  how  much 
more  defireable  muft  it  be  to  fpend  an 
eternity  in  the  company  of  angels  ?  For, 
as  in  point  of  knowledge,  wit,  and  elo 
quence,  they  muft  be  far  fuperior  to 
the  brighteft  geniufes  of  our  world,  and 
incomparably  more  afFe&ionate,  they 
cannot  but  make  the  moil  delightful 
company.  From  the  vaft  ftores  of  their 
wifdom  and  experience,  they  can  eafily 
draw  an  almofl  infinite  variety  of  the 
moft  entertaining  topics,  on  which  fuch 
good  and  gentle  fpirits,  will  not  fail  to 
converfe  in  the  moft  free  and  endear 
ing  manner.  Then,  what  a  heavenly 
converfation  muft  theirs  be,  wrhofe  fcope 
is  the  moft  glorious  knowledge,  and  its 
law  the  moft  perfeft  friendfhip  ? 

WHO  would  not  willingly  leave  a  child- 
ifh,  forward  and  ill  natured  world,  for 
the  bleffed  fociety  of  thofe  wife  friends 
and  perfect  lovers  ?  And  what  a  felicity 
muft  it  be  to  fpend  an  eternity,  in  fuch 

a  noble 


296         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

a  noble  converfation  ?  Where  we  fhall 
hear  the  deep  philofophy  of  heaven  com 
municated  with  mutual  freedom,  in  the 
•wife  and  amiable  difcourfes  of  angels, 
and  of  glorified  fpirits,  who,  without  any 
referve  or  affeftation  of  myftery,  without 
paffion  or  peevifh  contention  for  vifiory, 
do  freely  philofophize  and  impart  the 
treafures  of  each  others  knowledge  ? 
For  fmce  all  faints  there  are  great  philo- 
fophers,  and  all  philofophers  perfectly 
faints,  we  may  conclude,  that  knowledge" 
and  goodnefs,  wifdom  and  love,  will  be 
inoft  charmingly  intermixed  throughout 
all  their  converfation,  and  render  it  de 
lightful  in  the  higheft  degree.  When 
therefore  we  fhall  leave  this  vain  and 
unfociable  world,  and  on  our  landing 
on  the  fhores  of  eternity,  fhall  be  met 
by  all  our  good  old  friends,  who  are 
gone  to  heaven  before  us,  and  who 
now  with  infinite  joy  for  our  fafe  ar 
rival,  receive  and  condufl:  us  into  the 

fplendid 


THE   IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

Iplendid  fociety  of  all  the  good  and  ge-» 
iierous  fouls,  who  ever  lived  in  the 
world  :  when  we  fhall  be  familiar  friends 
with  angels  and  archangels  ;  and  all  the 
filming  courtiers  of  heaven  fhall  call  us 
brethefen,  and  welcome  us  into  their 
glorious  fociety,  with  all  the  tender  en 
dearments  and  careffes,  of  thofe  heaven 
ly  lovers,  O  how  will  all  thefe  mighty 
honors  and  joys,  fwell  our  bofoms  with 
tides  of  tfanfport  alnioft  too  big  to  bear  ! 

BUT  love  not  only  renders  us  thus 
happy,  by  adorning  us  with  fuch  graces 
as  give  us  a  hearty  welcome  to  the  fo* 
ciety,  and  joys  of  angels  ;  but,  O  god 
like  power  of  charity !  it  even  enables 
us  to  make  all  their  joys  our  own. 

IT  is  a  natural  property  of  love,  wheit 
fmcere,  to  unite  fo  dofely  the  hearts  o 
lovers,  as  to  make  their  interefts  com 
mon,  and  thus  to  render  the  joys  of 
the  one,  the  joys  of  the  other.  Every 
hian  carries  in  his  own  bofom  a  proof  of 

this 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

this  delightful  truth.  Do  not  the  v!f* 
tues  of  a  dear  brother,  give  us  as  exqui- 
fite  joy,  as  if  we  ourfelves  were  adorn* 
ed  with  them  ?  Have  not  the  high  com 
mendations  beftowed  on  a  beloved  fifter^ 
thrilled  through  our  hearts,  in  as  pure 
dreams  of  pleafure  as  if  we  ourfelves 
had  been  the  honored  fubjeft  of  them  ? 
Now,  if  love,  which  is  a  native  of  hea 
ven,  produces,  even  in  the  cold  foil  of 
the  human  heart^  fuch  delicious  fruits  of 
joy  at  the  fight  of  our  neighbour's  happi*- 
nefs,  how  much  more  copious  and  ex- 
quifite  mufl  be  its  growth  and  flavour* 
when  reftored  to  heaven,  it  enjoys  all 
the  energies  of  its  native  foil  and  cli 
mate  ?  If  therefore,  while  here  on  earth^ 
we  make  fuch  progrefs  in  brotherly 
love,  as  to  relifh  our  neighbour's  happi- 
nefs  as  our  own,  "  heartily  rejoicing 
ivith  him  when  he  rejoices ;"  we  may 
tefl  affured,  that  on  going  to  heaven, 
and  entering  into  the  fociety  of  blefied 

angels 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    299 

angels,  we  fliall  find  the  joys  of  congra 
tulating  love,  far  fuperior  to  what  we 
ever  experienced  in  this  world.  With 
what  facred  delight  {hall  our  hearts 
overflow,  when,  on  opening  our  eyes 
in  thofe  blifsful  manfions,  we  behold 
around  us,  fuch  bright  bands  of  glori 
ous  beings  ?  The  fight  of  thefe  lovely 
and  happy  people,  will  open  new  fprings 
of  joy  in  our  bofoms*  With  what 
wonder,  love,  and  praife,  fhall  we  con 
template  that  hand  which  drew  fuch  mag. 
nificent  fcenes ;  thefe  ftreets  paved  with 
gold,  thefe  gorgeous  palaces  hewn  from 
diamond  quarries,  thefe  walls  flaming 
with  the  ftones  of  heaven,  thefe  rivers 
flowing  with  liquid  filver,  thefe  fields 
decked  with  immortal  flowers,  thefe 
facred  fliades  formed  by  the  trees  of 
God ;  and  which,  after  having  cloathed 
thefe  regions  in  fuch  godlike  fplendors, 
raifed  up  fo  many  myriads  of  glorious 
beings  to  inhabit  them  forever  ?  There* 
D  d  among 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR* 

among  thofe  favoured  fpirits,  we  fiiall 
meet  with  none  of  thofe  melancholy 
fcenes  which  here  fo  often  embitter  our 
lives.  Here,  the  ftrong  pains  and  cries 
of  thofe  whom  we  love,  often  wring 
our  hearts  and  call  tears  of  bittereft 
forrow  from  our  eyes  ;  but  there,  God 
lhall  wipe  all  tears  from  our  eyes,  and 
pain  and  ficknefs  are  unknown.  Here, 
the  pale  cheek,  the  hollow  eye,  and 
trembling  voice  of  languilhing  friends, 
often  ficken  our  hearts,  and  prefs  our 
fpirits  to  the  earth ;  but  there,  health 
blooms  with  freflieft  rofes  on  each  im 
mortal  cheek,  and  imparts  a  vigor  that 
fhall  never  know  decay.  Here,  we  often 
behold  our  deareft  relatives  flruggling 
in  the  agonies  of  death,  and  hear,  with 
flupifying  grief,  their  laft  expiring 
groans ;  but  there,  among  thofe  holy 
angels,  death  never  (hewed  his  ghaftly 
countenance,  and  their  glorified  bodies 
are  deathlefs  as  the  eternal  Jehovah. 

Now 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       30! 

Now,  what  words  can  exprefs  the  joys 
of  thofe  blefled  people,  who  love  each 
other  with  a  tendernefs  unknown  to 
mortal  bofoms,  and  whofe  love  is  con 
tinually  feafted  with  the  view  of  each 
others  happinefs,  a  happinefs  which  no 
time  can  terminate,  and  which  neither 
man  nor  devil  can  impair !  For  perfect 
lovers  have  all  their  joys  and  griefs  in 
common  between  them ;  but  the  heaven* 
ly  lovers  having  no  griefs  among  them,, 
do  only  communicate  their  joys  to  one 
another.  And  where  they  love  fo  per 
fectly  as  they  do  in  heaven,  there  can  be 
no  fuch  thing  as  a  private  or  particular 
happinefs,  but  every  one  mujl  have  a 
(hare  in  that  of  every  one.  and  confe- 
quently  in  this,  their  mutual  communi 
cation  of  joys,  every  one's  happinefs, 
will,  by  his  friendfhip  to  every  one5  be 
multiplied  into  as  many  happinefles  as 
there  are  faints  and  angels  in  heaven ; 
and  thus,  every  joy,  of  every  member 

of 


302   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR, 

of  the  church  triumphant,  runs  round 
the  whole  body,  in  an  eternal  circula-  - 
tion.  For  that  bleffed  body  being  all 
compofed  of  confenting  hearts,  that,  like 
perfect  unifons,  are  tuned  up  to  the 
fame  key,  when  any  one  is  touched, 
every  one  echoes,  and  refounds  the  fame 
note :  and  while  they  thus  mutually 
ftrike  upon  each  other,  and  all  are  af- 
fe&ed  with  every  one's  joys,  it  is  im- 
poffible,  but,  that  in  a  flate  where  there 
is  nothing  but  joy,  there  fhould  be  a 
continual  concert  of  ravifhing  harmony 
among  them.  For  fuch  is  their  dear 
concern  for  one  another,  that  every 
one's  joy  not  only  pays  to,  but  receives 
tribute  from  the  joy  of  every  one :  fo 
that  when  any  one  blefled  fpirit  rejoices, 
his  joy  goes  round  the  whole  fociety, 
and  then  all  their  rejoicings  in  his  joy, 
reflow  upon,  and  fwell  and  multiply  it ; 
and  fo  as  they  thus  cordially  borrow 
each  others  joys,  they  always  pay  them 

back 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

back  with  intereft,  and  by  thus  recipro 
cating,  do  everlaftingly  increafe  them. 
And  now,  what  unfpeakable  rejoicing 
and  congratulations  will  there  be  among 
us,  when  we  fhall  pafs  all  heaven  over, 
through  ten  thoufand  millions  of  blefled 
beings,  and  meet  none  but  fuch  as  we 
mod  dearly  love,  and  are  as  dearly  be 
loved  by  ?  efpecially  when  we  fhall  find 
no  defed  either  of  goodnefs,  or  happi- 
nefs  in  them,  nor  they  in  us,  to  damp 
our  mutual  joy  and  delight,  but  every 
one  lhall  be  what  every  one  wiihes  him-— 
a  perfect  and  bleffed  friend. 

WHAT  eternal  thanks  do  we  not  owe 
to  the  author  of  all  good,  for  giving  us 
fouls  that  are  capable  of  afcending  to 
the  fociety  of  thefe  glorious  beings,  and 
of  participating  forever  in  their  exalted 
delights  ?  And  how  muft  it  inflame  our 
gratitude  to  him  for  appointing  LOVE  to 
be  the  golden  road  leading  to  thofe  ce- 
leftial  regions,  and  for  employing  fo 
D  d  2  many 


304         THE    IMMORTAL    MJENTO&. 

many  arguments,  and  taking,  if  we  may 
thus  fpeak,  fo  much  pains  to  perfuade 
us  to  walk  in  it  ?  For,  take  all  the  laws 
of  God,  whether  written  on  hearts  of 
flelh,  or  tables  of  ftone,  or  on  fofter 
leaves  of  evangelic  paper,  and  eaft  them 
up — What  is  their  amount?  LOVE. — 
Love  is  the  bond  of  perfection.  Love  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law.  He  hathjhewed  thee, 
0  man  !  what  is  good,  and  what  doth  the 
Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee  but  to  love 
him,  thy  Parent  God,  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  thy  neighbour  as  thyfelf. 

AND  as  God  has  thus  enjoined  love, 
fo  has  he  difpofed  every  thing  in  an  or 
der  the  moft  favourable  to  the  produc 
tion  of  it. 

FOR  who  is  this  neighbour  whom  we 
are  enjoined  to  love  ?  Is  he  fome  vile 
inferior  creature  whom  it  were  hard,  if 
not  impoffible  to  love  ?  No,  he  is,  on 
the  coutrary,  a  mofl  noble  being,  and 
ckfcended  from  the  greateft  family  in 

the 


THE  IMMO&TAL    MENTOR. 

the  univerfe.  He  is  no  lefs  a  perfoftage, 
than  a  young  prince,  a  fon  of  the  Great 
King  eternal,  whom  he  is  not  only  allow 
ed  but  even  commanded  to  call  his  father. 
If  fome  young  nobleman  cloathed  in  filks 
and  broad-cloaths,  fcented  with  rich  per 
fumes,  and  richly  equipaged,  were  to 
call  at  our  houfes,  we  fliould  inftantly 
be  imprefied  with  fentiments  of  refpeft, 
and  good  will  for  him,  and  readily  in 
vite  him  to  the  hofpitalities  of  our  tables. 
But  what  are  filver  and  gold  ?  what  are 
filks  and  broad-cloths  ?  what  are  fine 
horfes  and  fervants  ?  in  comparifon  of 
that  immortal  foul  which  this  neighbour 
pofleffes,  and  thofe  eternal,  beauties  of 
which  his  foul  is  capable  ?  know,  that 
he  was  made  but  a  few  degrees  lower 
than  the  angels,  and  that  God,  the  true 
judge  of  merit,  has,  on  account  of  the 
rich  excellencies  of  his  nature,  created 
this  world,  with  all  the  goodly  bright- 


306        THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

nefs  of  heaven,  and  all  the  coftly  fur 
niture  of  earth,  to  ferve  him. 

"  THOU  made  ft  him  to  have  dominion 
over  the  works  of  thy  hands  ;  thou  hajl 
put  all  things  under  his  feet." 

HE  pofleffes  a  foul  capable  of  fo  ex 
ceedingly  great  and  eternal  a  weight  of  glo 
ry,  that  rather  than  he  fhould  be  depri 
ved  of  it  forever  by  fin,  God  himfelf 
came  down  on  earth  to  expiate  it,  and 
by  his  own  mod  perfeft  and  amiable 
life  and  lefions,  to  allure  him  back  to 
love  heaven.  God  has  adopted  him  as 
his  fon,  and  made  him  a  free  denizen 
of  his  heavenly  city  ;  and  has  appointed 
his  own  glorious  angels  to  wait  on  him, 
as  on  the  heir  of  falvation  and  candi 
date  for  eternal  glory.  Can  we  then 
think  it  hard  to  love  him  whom  God 
thus  loves  and  thus  delights  to  honor  ? 

BUT  if  it  be  eafy  to  love  a  perfon  of 
eminent  dignity  and  excellence,  it  be 
comes  eafier  and  pleafanter  ftill  to  love 

him. 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    307 

him,  if  he  be  a  near  kinfman  and  friend. 
Well,  this  is  truly  the  cafe  betwixt  our 
neighbour  and  us.  He  is  our  near  rela 
tion — our  brother — bone  of  our  bono, 
and  flefh  of  our  flefh.  God  kindly  raif- 
ed  him  up  to  be  unto  us  as  a  companion 
and  a  help-mate,  to  lighten  our  burdens, 
to  multiply  our  comforts,  and,  like  dear 
children  walking  in  love,  to  enjoy  toge 
ther  the  rich  fruits  of  our  mutual  in- 
duftry,  rejoicing  in  the  prefent  bounties 
of  our  common  parent,  and  exulting 
in  the  hopes  of  better  yet  to  come. 

AND  as  if  all  thefe  tender  and  en 
dearing  circumflances  were  not  fuffi- 
cient,  God  himfelf  has  put  forth  his 
hand,  and  touched  our  hearts  with  fen- 
timents  of  good  will  towards  each  other. 

THESE  native  fentiments  of  love,  thefe 
dear  remains  of  God's  own  image,  origin 
ally  ftamped  on  our  minds,  appear  very 
vifible  in  all,  even  in  thofe  unfortunates, 

whofe 


308         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

whofe  hard  lot  and  corrupting  compa 
nions  have  done  much  to  ftifle  them. 

TAKE  you  pooreft  of  men !  whs 
gleans  precarious  and  fcanty  bread,  by 
hard  and  humble  toil.  His  four  looks 
and  crabbed  manners  give  room  to  fup- 
pe£b  that  he  is  a  mifanthrope,  an  utter 
ftranger  to  natural  qffeftion ;  but  the 
flighted  experiment  will  foon  difcover 
what  tender  fympathies  unite  him  to  his 
kind. 

You  need  not  tell  him  o£  flourilhing 
cities,  with  all  their  gay  inhabitants, 
fwallowed  up  by  the  devouring  fword, 
or  ruthlefs  flames,  while  mourning  mil 
lions  loaded  with  chains,  are  driven  far 
from  their  native  homes  to  make  room 
for  new  mafters.  No  ;  fuch  horrid  tra 
gedies  are  not  neceflary  to  touch  the 
fprings  of  his  compaflion.  Let  him  but 
hear  the  fong  of  Chevy  Chafe,  or  the 
tender  ballad  of  the  Babes  in  the  Wood  ; 
or  carry  him  to  the  Theatre,  and  lei 

him 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.    309 

him  hear,  though  but  in  a  play,  in  mere 
fiftion,  the  ftory  of  poor  Barnwell,  let 
him  behold  that  unfortu  nate  young  m  an, 
•who  fet  out  in  life  adorned  with  com  ely 
virtues,  and  the  darling  of  all  who  knew 
him ;  but  foon  alas !  too  foon,  arrefted 
by  a  beauteous  harlot,  he  falls  an  eafy 
prey  to  her  wiles,  is  ftript  of  all  his 
virtues  and  honors,  and  betrayed  into 
crimes  for  which  he  dies  on  the  igno 
minious  gallows. — 'Tis  enough,  this  fim- 
pie  tale  o_f  woe  calls  up  all  his  feelings 
of  generous  diftrefs,  and  bathes  his 
cheeks  in  floods  of  fympathetic  tears. 

DOES  not  this  our  ready  difpofition 
to  fuffer  with  our  fuffering  neighbour, 
and  to  weep  with  him  when  he  weeps , 
plainly  prove  how  much  God  has  done 
to  make  it  eafy  for  us  to  love  one  ano 
ther.  To  this  he  has  added  another 
charming  evidence,  I  mean  the  inex- 
preffible  joy  which  he  infufes  into  our 

hearts- 


310         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

hearts  on  doing  works  of  love  to  the 
neceffitous. 

cc  PRAY  fir,"  faid  a  young  Virginian 
to  his  friend,    "  on  what  aft  of  your 
"  life   do  you  refleft  with  the  highefl 
"  complacency  ?"    "  Why  fir,"  replied 
the  other,  "  happening  to  hear  that  an 
"  old  flave  of  my  father's  was  fick,  I  went 
"  up  to  his  quarter  to  fee  him.    On  enqui- 
M  ry,  I  found,  that  in  confequence  of  his 
"  extreme  age,  and  inability  to  render 
"  further  fervices  in  the  crop,  he  was 
"  cruelly  neglefted  by  the  overfeer,  and 
"  often  made  to  fuffer  for  a  meal  of  vic- 
<*  tuals.      Blufhing  to  find  that  this  was 
"  the  principal  caufe  of  his  prefent  in- 
"  difpofition,  I  mftantly  returned,  and 
"  taking  a  negro  lad,  carried  up  a  flitch 
"  of  bacon,  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  a  peck 
"  of  meal.   On  feeing  the  prefent  which 
"  I  had  brought  him,  his  half-famifhed 
<c  nature   revived,    and   a  fudden   gufh 
<(  ©f  tears   trickled   down  his  cheeks. 

"  Lifting 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.        31! 

**  Lifting  up  his  eyes,  he  gave  me  fuch 
"  a  look  of  gratitude  and  love,  as  pier- 
"  ced  my  very  foul,  and  kindled  a  plea- 
"  fure,  which  time,  inftead  of  diminifh- 
"  ing,  does  but  increafe  \" 

THE  pleafures  which  we  find  in  eat 
ing  and  drinking,  we  gratefully  confi- 
der  as  given  by  the  Creator,  to  attach 
us  to  thofe  refrefhments  fo  neceflary  to 
life.  With  equal  wifdom  and  gratitude, 
let  us  remember  that  the  heartfelt  de 
light  which  accompanies  and  fucceeds 
our  deeds  of  love,  were  meant  to  allure 
us  to  cheriih  that  divine  affe&ion  which 
is  better  than  life. 

FOR  the  fame  benevolent  purpofe,  the 
author  of  our  being  is  pleafed  to  exert 
on  us  the  whole  force  of  another  power 
ful  fpring  of  a&ion ;  I  mean  interefh 
Our  dearefl  interefts  in  this  world  are 
beft  promoted,  by  maintaining  a  loving 
correfpondence  with  our  neighbours* 
So  uncertain  is  our  condition,  fo  liable 
E  e  are 


312         THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

are  we  all  to  the  changes  and  chances 
of  this  mortal  life,  that  no  man  can  tell 
how  foon  he  may  owe  his  very  life  and 
fortune  to  the  gratitude  of  a  poor  neigh 
bour  or   Have  who   loves   him.     How 
many  accounts  have  we  heard  of  poor 
negroes,  whofe  love  for  a  good  mafter 
has  made  them  bravely  to  ftep  in  be 
twixt  him  and  danger ;  fometimes,  like 
faithful  fpaniels,  plunging  in,  and  draw 
ing  him  out  of  deep  waters,  where  he 
was  in  the  very  aft  of  drowning  ?  Some 
times,  like   Salamanders,  rufhing   upon 
and    extinguishing    furious     fires,   that 
were  deftroying  his  houfes,  and  perhaps 
half  the  labours  of  his  life  ?  And  fome- 
times,  like  He&ors,  fighting  with  defpe- 
rate   courage  in  his  defence,  when  at- 
ta&ed,  and  in  danger  of  being  fever  ely 
beaten  and  killed  by  his  enemies  ? 

BCTT  love  not  only  thus  marfhals  an 
armj  with  banners   around  us  for  our 

fafety ; 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.          313 

fafety  ;    it  alfo  pours   a  fweet  funfhine 
of  peace  and  harmony  over  our  days. 
ST.  PAUL,   who   was  a   much  fafer 
guide  in  matters   of  religion,  than  Mr. 
Paine,  advifes   us  to  walk  in  love  with 
our  neighbours,  if  we  would  lead  a  quiet 
and  peaceable  life.     For  as  men  naturally 
perceive* a  fragrance  in  the  rofe,  and  a 
fweetnefs  in  the  honey-comb ;  fo  natu 
rally  do  they  difcern  a  heavenly  charm 
and  beauty  in  love.     Adorned  therefore 
with  the  friendly  difpofitions,  the   fair 
dealings,  and  gentle  manners  of  this  di 
vine  paffion,  we  fhall  not  fail  to  find 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  our   neighbours, 
and  to  be  beloved  and  careflfed  by  them. 
Hence  we  walk  among  them  as  among 
brothers,  in  every  face  we  fee  a  friendly 
fmile,  at  every  houfe  a  hearty  welcome, 
never  devifing  any  mifchief  againft  them, 
we  never  dream  of  their  devifing  any 
againft  us.     Our  hearts  are  now  at  reft, 
our  countenances  are  ferene,  our  voices 

melodious, 


3*4      THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

melodious,  our  manners  mild,  our  fleep 
fweet,  and  our  whole  life  quiet  and 
peaceable  :  And,  as  a  bleflfed  confe- 
quence  of  all  this,  together  with  the 
higheft  enjoyment  of  the  prefent  life,  we 
are  in  the  heft  frame  of  mind  to  prepare 
ourfelves  for  that  which  is  to  come. 
Happily  freed  from  the  anxiety  and  vex 
ation  of  all  bad  paffions,  we  profitably 
contemplate  our  numberlefs  obligations 
to  love  God  and  one  another,  and  thus, 
in  the  multitude  of  our  good  thoughts, 
daily  grow  in  virtue  and  piety. 

BUT  all  this  goodly  Canaan,  this  land 
of  love,  flowing  with  richefl  milk  and 
honey  of  peace,  is  fnatched  from  our 
eyes  by  the  demon-hand  of  hatred,  and 
nought  appears  in  its  place  but  a  land 
of  darknefs  and  of  death,  whofe  dreams 
are  of  gall,  and  its  fruits  of  bitter  afhes. 

BY  over-reaching  a  neighbour  in  a 
bargain  (which  we  fhall  be  too  apt  to 
do  if  we  love  him  not),  we  make  him 

our 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR.         315 

our  enemy.  Perhaps  he  has  the  fpirit 
to  tell  us  of  our  bafenefs  to  our  faces, 
or  to  talk  of  it  behind  our  backs.  This 
fires  our  bofoms  with  odious  and  pain 
ful  paffions.  Challenges  or  law-fuits, 
with  all  their  ignominious  vexations, 
hurtful,  and  often  fatal  confequences, 
enfue. 

OR  by  treating  him  with  unreafon- 
able  feverity  (a  thing  very  feaiible  if 
we  love  him  not),  we  enflanie  his  re- 
fentment  to  fuch  an  height,  that  net 
content  with  {tabbing  our  reputation, 
he  threatens  our  property  and  lives. 
Our  curfes  now  multiply  thick  and  faft 
upon  our  heads.  We  can  no  longer 
fleep  in  quiet,  from  dread  of  having  eur 
houfes  fired  over  our  heads.  We  are 
actually  afraid  (the  memory  of  thofe 
who  read  may  help  them  to  inftances) 
to  ftir  out,  or,  like  people  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  hoflile  Indians,  muft  make 
E  e  2  our 


316   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

our  vifits  with  piftols  in  our  pockets, 
and  carabines  in  our  hands. 

THUS,  through  defeft  of  love,  we  are 
often  dragged  upon  the  ftage  againfl 
our  wills,  and  there  made  to  aft  parts 
in  tragedies,  which  neither  become  nor 
pleafe  us.  Our  thoughts  taken  off  from 
all  delightful  fubje&s,  are  turned  to  fo- 
licitous  cares  of  felf-prefervation  and  de 
fence.  Our  minds  are  difcompofed  by 
vexatious  paffions.  Our  credit  is  blaft- 
ed  by  falfe  reports  and  flanderous  defa 
mations.  Our  hearts  are  kept  continu 
ally  boiling  with  choler,  our  faces  over 
clouded  with  difcontent,  our  ears  filled 
with  difcordant  noifes  of  contradiction, 
clamor  and  reproach;  and  our  whole 
frame  of  body  and  foul  diflempered  with 
the  worft  of  paffions.  In  the  meantime 
our  natural  reft  is  difturbed5  our  necefla- 
ry  bufmefs  is  hindred,  our  happinefs  in 
this  life  is  utterly  wretched  and  loft, 
and  the  great  concerns  of  heaven  and 

eternal 


THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR.   317 

eternal  glory  are  entirely  laid  afide.  O 
how  much  better  it  is  to  walk  in  the 
fmooth  and  flowery  paths  of  love,  than 
thus  to  wander  in  the  rugged  ways  of 
hatred,  overgrown  with  briars,  and  be- 
fet  with  fnares;  to  fail  gently  down 
the  courfe  of  life  on  the  filver  current 
of  friendfhip,  than  to  be  tofied  on  the 
tempeftuous  fea  of  contention  j  to  be 
hold  the  lovely  face  of  heaven  fmiling 
with  a  cheerful  ferenity,  than  to  fee  it 
frowning  with  clouds  or  raging  with 
florins !  How  much  a  peaceful  ftate  re- 
fembles  heaven,  into  which  no  ftrife  nor 
clamor  ever  enter,  but  where  bleffed 
fouls  converfe  together  in  perfect  love, 
and  perpetual  'concord !  And  how  a 
condition  of  enmity  refembles  hell,  that 
black  and  difmal  region  of  dark  hatred, 
fiery  wrath,  and  horrible  tumult !  How 
like  a  paradife  the  world  would  be  flou- 
rifhing  in  joy  and  reft,  if  men  would 
but  cheerfully  confpire  in  love,  and  ge- 

neroufly 


318       THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

neroufly  contribute  to  each  others  good: 
and  how  like  a  favage  wildnefs  it  now 
is,  when  like  wild  beafts,  they  vex  and 
perfecute,  worry  and  devour  each  o- 
ther. 

AND  to  conclude,  let  us  remember, 
that  "  Love  fhall  never  fail"  and  that, 
the  man  of  love  "  Jhall  be  had  in  ever- 
la/ting  remembrance,  and  his  memory  fhall 
be  bleffed"  No  fpices  can  fo  embalm  a 
man,  no  monument  can  fo  preferve  his 
name,  as  works  of  love.  The  renown 
of  power,  of  wit,  and  of  learning,  may 
reft  on  the  minds  of  men  with  fome 
admiration;  ba  j  remembrance  of 
love  reigns  in  their  hearts  with  fmcerefl 
affe&ion,  there  creeling  trophies  trium 
phant  over  death  at-.d  oblivion.  The 
good  man's  very  duft  is  fragrant,  and 
his  grave  venerable.  His  name  is  never 
mentioned  without  the  tribute  of  a  iigh, 
and  loud  acclamations  ol  oraife.  And 
even  when  he  is  gone  hence,  and  in  per- 

fon 


319   THE  IMMORTAL  MENTOR. 

fon  is  no  more  feen,  he  remains  vifible 
in  the  footfteps  and  fruits  of  his  good- 
nefs.  The  poor  man  beholds  him  in 
the  comfortable  fubfiftence  which  he 
ftill  receives  from  his  bounty.  The 
fick  man  feels  him  in  the  refreshments 
which  he  yet  enjoys  from  his  charity. 
He  furvives  in  the  hearts  of  the  affli&ec}, 
who  ftill  remember  the  fervices  which 
he  rendered  them  fo  cheerfully.  And 
his  weeping  friends  dry  up  their  tears 
when  they  think  of  his  virtues,  the  rich 
fruits  of  which  they  doubt  not,  he  is 
now  enjoying  in  a  better  world.  His 
memory  fhall  likewife  endure  forever ,  in 
the  favor  of  God,  and  in  thofe  glorious 
rewards  which  he  will  beftow  upon  him 
for  his  love  to  his  brethren,  God  will 
not  forget  his  labour  of love ',  but  will  raife 
him  up  after  the  fliort  flumbers  of  the 
grave,  to  receive  that  unfading  crown, 
and  that  precious  pearl  of  eternal  life  :~ 
"  Well  done  good  and  faithful  fervant, — / 

was 


THE    IMMORTAL    MENTOR. 

was  Hungry  and  you  gave  me  food,  I  was 
thirjly  and  you  gave  me  drink ,  naked  was 
I  and  you  chat  bed  me,  fick  and  in  prifon 
and  you  vi/ited  me,  enter  now  int&  the  joy 
of  your  lord." 

THUS,  when  all  the  flaflies  of  fenfual 
pleafure  are  quite  extinfl: ;  when  all  the 
flowers  of  fecular  glory  are  withered 
away ;  when  all  earthly  treafures  are 
buried  in  darknefs ;  when  this  world 
with  all  its  fafliions  are  utterly  vanifhed 
and  gone,  the  good  man's  fcate  will  be 
flill  firm  and  fiourifhing,  and  his  righte- 
cufnefs  fljall  endure  for  ever. 

IF  then  you  would  be  happy  indeed ; 
happy  in  every  condition,  and  in  the 
difcharge  of  every  duty ;  happy  in  life 
and  in  death ;  happy  in  this  world  and 
in  that  which  is  to  comej  learn  to 
LOVE. 

"  THIS  having  learnt,  thou  haft  at- 
"  tained  the  fum  of  wifdom.  Hope  no 
« higher,  though  all  the  ftars  thou 

"  knoweft 


THE   IMMORTAL    MENTOR.       32! 

**  knoweft  by  name,  and  all  the  etherial 
"  powers ;  all  fecrets  of  the  deep ;  all 
"  nature's  works,  or  works  of  God  in 
"  heaven,  earth,  air,  or  fea ;  and  all 
"  the  riches  of  this  world  enjoyedft, 
"  and  all  that  rule  one  empire.  Only 
"  add  deeds  to  thy  knowledge  anfwer- 
"  able.  Add  faith,  add  virtue,  patience, 
"  temperance ;  add  LOVE,  the  foul  of 
cc  all  the  reft ;  then  ihall  thou  not  be 
"  loath  to  leave  this  world,  but  lhalt  in- 
"  herit  a  world  that^s  happier  far." 

MILTON. 


FINIS. 


